t find out where the Princess was
imprisoned, gave him a little ray of comfort. So he continued to walk
on through the forest, and after some hours he arrived at the gate of
a temple, guarded by two huge lions. Being invisible, he was able to
enter unharmed. In the middle of the temple was an altar, on which lay
a book, and behind the altar hung a great curtain. The Prince
approached the altar and opened the book, which contained the names of
all the lovers in the world; and in it he read that Rosalie had been
carried off by the Prince of the Air to an abyss which had no entrance
except the one that lay by way of the Fountain of Gold.

Now, as the Prince had not the smallest idea where this fountain was
to be found, it might be thought that he was not much nearer Rosalie
than before. This was not, however, the view taken by the Prince.

'Though every step that I take may perhaps lead me further from her,'
he said to himself, 'I am still thankful to know that she is alive
somewhere.'

On leaving the temple the Invisible Prince saw six paths lying before
him, each of which led through the wood. He was hesitating which to
choose, when he suddenly beheld two people coming towards him, down
the track which lay most to his right. They turned out to be the
Prince Gnome and his friend, and the sudden desire to get some news of
his sister, Princess Argentine, caused the Invisible Prince to follow
them and to listen to their conversation.

'Do you think,' the Prince Gnome was saying, 'do you think that I
would not break my chains if I could? I know that the Princess
Argentine will never love me, yet each day I feel her dearer still.
And as if this were not enough, I have the horror of feeling that she
probably loves another. So I have resolved to put myself out of my
pain by means of the Golden Fountain. A single drop of its water
falling on the sand around will trace the name of my rival in her
heart. I dread the test, and yet this very dread convinces me of my
misfortune.'

It may be imagined that after listening to these words the Invisible
Prince followed Prince Gnome like his shadow, and after walking some
time they arrived at the Golden Fountain. The unhappy lover stooped
down with a sigh, and dipping his finger in the water let fall a drop
on the sand. It instantly wrote the name of Prince Flame, his brother.
The shock of this discovery was so real, that Prince Gnome sank
fainting into the arms of his friend.

Mean