lace them upon thy feet for me, and may never
thorn assail thee in all thy going. Wear them and tread the
steps of thrones, years and years, ages and ages, Princess,
beloved! See, they are wrought in love."

Now I saw upon the lips of the princess who had lain down
thousands of years ago, but who lives in a place I know to-day,
a smile, very faint and far away. So as the Singing Mouse told
me, it was to be seen that she did not die. Even as she faded
away from the wall against which she stood, I knew, though I
wept, that the princess was not dead and would not die. She was
beautiful, she was beloved; and these things have not died. "Ah,
beautiful!" I said to the Singing Mouse. "But alas! for a
princess there should be a palace, and here is none!"

"Look about you," said the Singing Mouse. "See, for the time
this is a palace."

I looked about me, and it was as the Singing Mouse said. For the
time my room was a palace. I saw standing there again the
princess, upon her feet small golden shoes.

"What is this?" I asked. "And who am I?" But as I turned, I saw
that the Singing Mouse was gone. But this I knew, and so may you
know: that love does not die; and here was proof of it.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: Of White Moths]

[Illustration]

OF WHITE MOTHS

"Once," said the Singing Mouse, "I was at the side of a little
stream. Grasses grew all about, and small plants and flowers.
Beyond the shores of the little stream arose a forest, wide and
dark, into which the eye could reach but a little way.

"As I stood near the little stream, there arose from the grass
and flowers two small moths, soft and dainty, beautiful, and
very white, covered also with a white dust or powder which was
so light that did they but receive a touch they must lose some
of this soft white powder and so be injured, so gentle and
tender were they.

"These two moths, soft and white and silent, arose in the air
and circled one about the other, rising for a time, then
falling, but ever circling one about the other. It seemed that
perhaps they spoke one to the other, but if that were true it
was in speech so small that not even I could hear it. They
passed over the tops of the grasses and flowers, up and up,
until they reached the tops of the trees, where they seemed very
small.

"I do not know why these moths no longer cared for the grasses
and flowers. But I saw them, circling, cross over the little
stream, high in the air, an