er service and solace, seeing that she was ere long to be crowned Queen
of Babylon.

No sooner, however, did Blanchefleur, a helpless stranger in a distant
land, find herself in a chamber alone and undisturbed, than, giving way
to tears and lamentations, she cried, 'Alas, Fleur! who has torn us
asunder? Never shall I cease to love and mourn you, for well know I that
your heart is rent with the same pangs of love and grief, and that we
both must surely die, for without love who would consent to live?'

_Chapter III_

Now, leaving Blanchefleur thus bewailing herself at Babylon, let us
return to King Fenis and his Queen. On receiving at the hands of the two
merchants the goodly treasure paid as Blanchefleur's price, King Fenis
was well pleased, but not so the Queen, who in trouble of spirit cried,
'Now must we take good heed what we do, lest Fleur our son die of
grief.' King Fenis accordingly, after taking thought upon the matter,
caused a tomb of exceeding beauty to be made, of ivory, of marble, and
of crystals, and in the tomb was set a coffin, and on the coffin were
figured in gold the images of two children in the likeness of Fleur and
Blanchefleur; on the head of each child was a crown of gold, and in that
of Fleur was set a carbuncle that sparkled bright by night as in the
day. Moreover, long pipes were laid down, which, catching the wind as it
blew, caused the children to fondle and embrace each other as though in
sport and play, and when the wind ceased they stood still, each one
proffering to the other the flowers it held, and all seemed natural as
life itself.

Never had maiden a costlier tomb, for it was encrusted with precious
gems, such as sapphires, chalcedonies, amethyst, topaz, turquoise,
jasper, chrysolite, diamond, and jacinth; also in letters of gold it
bore this inscription:

_'Here lies Blanchefleur, who loved young Fleur
with tender love and true.'_

[Illustration: Who loved young Fleur with tender love and true]

When all things were now ready, King Fenis, bidding his people beware
for their lives of breathing a word to the effect that Blanchefleur,
being yet alive, was not buried in this tomb, sent to Montorio, bidding
his son return home. Joyfully did Fleur, all unknowing what had passed,
obey the summons, and when, after greeting and salutation offered to his
parents, he asked for Blanchefleur, and no man dared to answer him, he
ran to her mother's chamber and asked where was B