ow as the chambers of these two maidens adjoined, and a door led from
the one into the other, Clarissa with care closed her outer door and
passed through the inner one into the chamber of Blanchefleur, whom she
found sitting all woebegone and rapt in thought of her absent love.

'Blanchefleur!' cried Clarissa, 'come with me and I will show you
flowers such as you never saw before.'

[Illustration]

'Alas! Clarissa,' replied the mournful, drooping Blanchefleur, 'my
heart is too heavy to be cheered by flowers, seeing that I am so far
from my love and he from me.'

'Cease your wailing,' cried Clarissa, 'and dear as your love may be, yet
come and see the lovely flowers!'

So Blanchefleur slowly rising came to see the flowers, whereupon Fleur,
who heard the voice and knew his love was near, sprang from among the
blossoms, all clad like the roses in rosy red, and Blanchefleur knew
him, and he knew her, and they gazed speechless with love and joy face
to face upon each other, and silently they fell on each other's neck
with kisses and fond embraces, until at length Blanchefleur found words
to say, 'Clarissa! behold my love! my heart's delight, my comfort, and
my joy!' Then the two joined in praying good Clarissa not to part their
love by declaring it, as that would be their death.

'Have no fear,' replied Clarissa; 'I will help you as best I can; the
food and wine that are brought for two will suffice for three, and you
will find me ever true.'

[Illustration]

Then the two lovers went into Blanchefleur's chamber, and sitting them
down upon the bed, which was spread with a gold-embroidered silken
cover, they told each other all that had befallen them since their
parting.

'Ah, love!' sighed Fleur, 'what have I not suffered for your sake? I had
well-nigh died of sorrow.'

'And I,' said Blanchefleur, 'since the day on which you departed to
Montorio, have known no joy, but have gone mourning for my love;' and
then again the lovers kissed each other, and Fleur showed Blanchefleur
the ring, his mother's parting gift, and told her of its magic power.

Meanwhile good Clarissa, trembling lest the secret of her friend should
be betrayed, guarded it with jealous care as though it had been her own:
so these three lived and ate and drank together, letting no living soul
share their secret, and the lovers, happy as the day was long, would
gladly thus have lived and died together, but, alas! the course of true
love never can r