ispered and fountains
played, and shady pergolas appeared, formed of gold and silver trellises,
over which a thousand luxuriant creepers clambered, holding by their
little tendril hands.

The fallen columns stood up again, the mutilated marble statues found new
noses and arms, and in the background of all this growing magnificence
the young duke perceived-at first dimly, as if obscured by mists, then
more distinctly-the outline of a palace with loggia, balconies, columned
halls, and statues in bronze and marble around the cornice of its flat
roof.

George, the squire, gazed in openmouthed wonder, and his mouth remained
open until he entered the fore-court of the palace. Then he only closed
it to give his jaws a little rest before their future labours began, for
such a good smell from the kitchen greeted him that he ordered the
willing cook to satisfy immediately the demands of his appetite, as his
hunger was greater than his curiosity.

Sir Wendelin continued his way through the passages, chambers, halls, and
courts. Everywhere servants, guards, and heyducks swarmed, and from the
stables he heard the stamping of many horses, and the jingle of their
halter chains as they rattled them against their well-filled mangers.
Choruses of trumpeters played inspiriting fanfares, and from the
assembled people in the forecourt a thousand voices shouted again and
again: "Hail to his Grace Duke Greylock, Wendelin the First! Long may he
live!"

The knight bowed graciously to his good people, and when the Chancellor
stepped forward, and after a deep reverence set forth in a carefully
prepared speech the great services which the duke had rendered to the
country, Wendelin listened with polite attention, though he himself was
quite ignorant of what the old man was talking about.

Sir Wendelin had lived through so many adventures that it pleased him now
to sit peacefully on his throne, and he did his best to be worthy of the
honours which the fairy had conferred upon him. After he had learned the
duties of a ruler from A to Z, he returned to Germany to woo his cousin
Walpurga. He led her back to his palace, and for many years they governed
the beautiful land together. All of the five sons which his wife bore to
him, came into the world with the grey lock. They all grew to be brave
men and loyal subjects of their father, whom they served faithfully in
war, holding fraternally together and greatly enlarging the boundaries of
his dukedom