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428 Becafigue asked, which was her chamber. She told him it was so close to his, that it was only separated by a partition.

When the Prince withdrew, his confidant told him he was the most mistaken of men, if that girl had not lived with the Princess Désirée; that he had seen her at the palace, when he was there as ambassador. "What sad recollections you awake in my mind!" said the Prince; "and by what chance is she here?" "I am ignorant of that, my Lord," added Becafigue; but I wish to see her again, and as it is merely a slight piece of carpenter's work that separates us, I am going to make a hole in it." "Mere useless curiosity," sadly replied the Prince; for Becafigue's words had renewed all his grief: and with that he opened the window, which looked into the forest, and sat at it, ruminating.

In the meanwhile Becafigue set to work, and in a very short time had made a hole sufficiently large to perceive the charming Princess, dressed in a robe of silver brocade, with crimson flowers embroidered with gold and emeralds. Her hair fell in large curls upon the most beautiful neck in the world, her complexion was brilliant, and her eyes were entrancing. Giroflée was on her knees before her, binding up her arm, from which the blood was flowing profusely. They both of them appeared much perplexed by this wound. "Leave me to die," said the Princess; "death would be sweeter to me than the deplorable life I lead. What! must I become a Hind every day, to see him to whom I am betrothed, without speaking to him, without informing him of my fatal accident? Alas! if thou knewest all the tender things he said to me while in my other shape; how sweet the tone of his voice; how noble and fascinating his manners; thou wouldst pity much more than thou dost now my inability to enlighten him as to my fate."

One may easily imagine Becafigue's astonishment at all that he saw and heard. He ran to the Prince—he dragged him from the window, with inexpressible transports of joy. "Ah! my Lord," said he, "lose no time in approaching that partition; you will then see the real original of the portrait which charmed you." The Prince looked through the aperture, and immediately recognised the Princess. He would have died with delight, if he had not feared he was deceived by some enchantment; for how could he reconcile such a