,' she said, 'you know nothing of me but what you have
seen in the mirror; and I, who cannot even name my parents, learn that
you are a king's son.'

In vain Saphir declared that love made them equal; Serpentine would
only reply: 'I love you too much to allow you to marry beneath your
rank. I shall be very unhappy, of course, but I shall never alter my
mind. If I do not find from the fairies that my birth is worthy of
you, then, whatever be my feelings, I will never accept your hand.'

The conversation was at this point, and bid fair to last some time
longer, when one of the fairies appeared in her ivory car, accompanied
by a beautiful woman past her early youth. At this moment the bird
suddenly awakened, and, flying on to Saphir's shoulder (which it never
afterwards left), began fondling him as well as a bird can do. The
fairy told Serpentine that she was quite satisfied with her conduct,
and made herself very agreeable to Saphir, whom she presented to the
lady she had brought with her, explaining that the lady was no other
than his Aunt Aglantine, widow of Diamantino.

[Illustration: 'Standing in the Doorway a Charming Maiden at Whose
Sight His Mind Seemed to Give Way']

Then they all fell into each other's arms, till the fairy mounted her
chariot, placed Aglantine by her side, and Saphir and Serpentine on
the front seat. She also sent a message to the Prince's attendants
that they might travel slowly back to the Court of King Peridor, and
that the beautiful bird had really been found. This matter being
comfortably arranged, she started off her chariot. But in spite of the
swiftness with which they flew through the air, the time passed even
quicker for Saphir and Serpentine, who had so much to think about.

They were still quite confused with the pleasure of seeing each other,
when the chariot arrived at King Peridor's palace. He had had himself
carried to a room on the roof, where his nurses thought that he would
die at any moment. Directly the chariot drew within sight of the
castle the beautiful bird took flight, and, making straight for the
dying King, at once cured him of his sickness. Then she resumed her
natural shape, and he found that the bird was no other than the Queen
Constance, whom he had long believed to be dead. Peridor was rejoiced
to embrace his wife and his son once more, and with the help of the
fairies began to make preparations for the marriage of Saphir and
Serpentine, who turned out to be