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410 Désirée; without her he must die. The King resolved therefore, in such an extremity, to go to the King and Queen, who had promised her to him, to entreat them to have pity upon the situation the Prince was reduced to, and defer no longer a marriage which would never happen, if they were determined to wait till the Princess arrived at the age of fifteen.

This was an extraordinary step to take, but it would have been more extraordinary if he had allowed so amiable and dear a son to perish. Notwithstanding, he met with an insurmountable difficulty, for his age was so great he could only travel in a litter, and this mode accorded very badly with the impatience of his son; so that he desired his faithful Becafigue to travel post, and sent by him the most affecting letters in the world, to induce the King and Queen to accede to his wishes.

During all this time Désirée had scarcely less pleasure in looking at the Prince's portrait than he had in gazing at hers. Every instant she sought the room in which it was placed; and, however careful she was in disguising her feelings, her attendants did not fail to discover them. Amongst others, Giroflée and Longue-épine, who were her maids of honour, perceived the little anxieties that began to torment her. Giroflée loved her dearly, and was faithful to her. Longue-épine had always nourished a secret jealousy of her merit and her rank. Her mother had educated the Princess, and after having been her governess, became her first lady-in-waiting; she ought to have loved her better than anything in the world, but she doted on her own daughter ridiculously, and perceiving her hatred to the lovely Princess, she could not wish her well.

The ambassador who had been despatched to the Black Princess, was not well received when she learned the message with which he was charged. The Ethiopian was the most vindictive creature in the world; she thought she was treated very cavalierly, in being thus politely put off, after engagements had been actually entered into with her. She had seen a portrait of the Prince, with which she was infatuated, and Ethiopians, when they do love, love to a greater excess than any one else. "How, Sir!" said she; "does your master think I am neither rich enough, nor beautiful enough? Travel through my dominions, you will find there are few