Page:Fairytales00auln.djvu/395

Rh others were, and therefore she begged of him not to make her such handsome presents. "You would be right," said he to her, "not to adorn yourself, if I did not give you permission; but it is your duty to please me; all will be ready for our marriage in four days; amuse yourself, Princess, and give your orders, as you are already absolute mistress here."

After he had left her, she shut herself up with her governess, and told her, that she might choose whether she would find her the means of escape, or those by which she could kill herself the day of her marriage. The governess represented the impossibility of her escaping, and the culpable weakness of killing herself to avoid the evils of this life. She tried to persuade her, that her virtue would contribute to her tranquillity, and without being desperately in love with the humpback, she would esteem him sufficiently to live contentedly with him.

Carpillon would not listen to any of her remonstrances; she told her, till now she had relied upon her, she now knew what she had to trust to; that if all the world failed her, she would not fail herself; and that great remedies were required for great evils. After which, she opened the window, and every now and then looked out, without uttering a word. Her governess, who feared she would throw herself out, fell at her feet, and looking affectionately at her, "Well, Madam," said she, "what do you wish me to do? I will obey you, though it be at the risk of my life." The Princess embraced her, and said, she wished her to purchase for her a shepherdess's dress and a cow; that she would seek refuge wherever she could. That she must not try to turn her from her purpose, because it was losing time, and she had none to spare; that she must also, to enable her to get beyond pursuit, dress up a doll, put it in her bed, and say that she was not well.

"You must see, Madam," said the poor governess, "to what I am about to expose myself. Prince Bossu will be certain that I seconded you in your plans; he will inflict a thousand tortures upon me to extort from me where you are, and then he will burn me, or flay me alive. Say after that, that I do not love you."

The Princess was very much distressed: "I wish," replied she, "that you should escape yourself, two days after me; it