, when they met Mrs. Teachum, who informed
them their dancing master was just arrived, and they must attend him;
but in the evening they might finish their story.

They were so curious (and especially Miss Dolly Friendly) to know what
was to become of the princess, that they could have wished not to have
been interrupted; but yet, without one word of answer, they complied
with what their governess thought most proper; and in the evening,
hastening to their arbour, Mrs. Teachum herself being present, Miss
Jenny went on in the following manner:

THE FAIRY TALE CONTINUED.

The queen, in the meantime, suffered for the loss of her child more than
words can express, till the good fairy Sybella returned. The queen burst
into tears at the sight of her; but the fairy immediately cried out,
'You may spare yourself, my royal guest, the pain of relating what has
happened. I know it all; for that old man, whom I took such pity on, was
a phantom, raised by Brunetta, to allure me hence, in order to have an
opportunity, in my absence, of seducing the princess from her duty.
She knew nothing but a probable story could impose on me, and therefore
raised that story of the misery of the old man's son (from motives which
too often, indeed, cause the misery of mortals); as knowing I should
think it my duty to do what I could to relieve such a wretch. I will not
tell you all my journey, nor what I have gone through. I know your
mind is at present too much fixed on the princess, to attend to such
a relation I'll only tell you what concerns yourself. When the phantom
found, that by no distress he could perturb my mind, he said he was
obliged to tell the truth, what was the intention of my being deluded
from home, and what had happened since; and then vanished away.' Here
the fairy related to the queen everything that had happened to the
princess, as has already been written; and concluded with saying, that
she would wander about the castle walls (for Brunetta had no power over
her); and if she could get a sight of the princess, she would endeavour
to bring her to a true sense of her fault, and then she might again be
restored to happiness.

The queen blessed the fairy for her goodness; and it was not long before
Sybella's continual assiduity got her a sight of the princess; for
she often wandered a little way towards that wood she had once so
much delighted in, but never could bring herself to enter into it: the
thought of seeing her