Page:Fairytales00auln.djvu/264

224 you. I consent to your wish, and I can never make you a greater sacrifice."

She assured him that she would return as quickly as she did the first time: that she should be deeply pained by anything that could keep her from him; and entreated him not to be uneasy about her. She went in the same state as before, and arrived just as they were commencing the marriage ceremony. Despite the attention they were paying to it, her presence caused exclamations of joy and admiration, which drew the eyes of all the princes upon her. They could not cease looking at her, and felt her beauty to be so extraordinary that they were ready to believe she must be something more than mortal.

The King was charmed to see her once more. He never took his eyes off her, except to order all the doors to be closed to prevent her departure. The ceremony being nearly concluded, the Princess rose hastily that she might disappear in the crowd, but she was extremely surprised and distressed to find that all the gates were locked.

The King accosted her with great respect and a submissive air that reassured her. He begged her not to deprive them so soon of the pleasure of seeing her, and that she would remain and grace the banquet he was about to give the princes and princesses who had honoured him with their presence on this occasion. He led her into a magnificent saloon, in which all the court were assembled, and offered to her himself a golden basin and a ewer filled with water, that she might wash her beautiful hands. At this, she could no longer suppress her emotions; she flung herself at his feet, and embracing his knees, exclaimed, "Behold, my dream has come true! You have offered me water to wash with on my sister's wedding-day without any evil befalling you."

The King recognised her with less difficulty, as he had more than once been struck by her great resemblance to Merveilleuse. "Ah! my dear daughter," said he, embracing her with tears in his eyes, "can you forget my cruelty? I sought your life because I thought your dream prognosticated the loss of my crown. It did so, indeed," continued he, "for here are your two sisters married, and each has a crown of her own, therefore mine shall be yours." So saying, he rose, and placed his crown on the head of the Princess, crying, "Long