stepped into the circle of light.]

'All right, I know. His heart at her something or other feet.'

'Pretty feet,' said Alison. 'I go to tell the Princess.'

Next moment from the shadows on the bank a radiant vision stepped into
the circle of light, crying--

'Oh! Rudel, is it indeed thou? Thou art come at last. O welcome to the
arms of the Princess!'

'What do I do now?' whispered Rudel (who was Kenneth) in the boat, and
at the same moment Conrad and George said, as with one voice--

'My hat! Alison, won't you catch it!'

For at the end of the Princess's speech she had thrown back her veils
and revealed a blaze of splendour. She wore several necklaces, one of
seed pearls, one of topazes, and one of Australian shells, besides a
string of amber and one of coral. And the front of the red flannel
blouse was studded with brooches, in one at least of which diamonds
gleamed. Each arm had one or two bracelets and on her clenched hands
glittered as many rings as any Princess could wish to wear.

So her brothers had some excuse for saying, 'You'll catch it.'

'No, I sha'n't. It's my look out, anyhow. Do shut up,' said the
Princess, stamping her foot. 'Now then, Ken, go ahead. Ken, you say, "Oh
Lady, I faint with rapture!"'

'I faint with rapture,' said Kenneth stolidly. 'Now I land, don't I?'

He landed and stared at the jewelled hand the Princess held out.

'At last, at last,' she said, 'but you ought to say that, Ken. I say, I
think I'd better be an eloping Princess, and then I can come in the
boat. Rudel dies really, but that's so dull. Lead me to your ship, oh
noble stranger! for you have won the Princess, and with you I will live
and die. Give me your hand, can't you, silly, and do mind my train.'

So Kenneth led her to the boat, and with some difficulty, for the satin
train got between her feet, she managed to flounder into the punt.

'Now you stand and bow,' she said. 'Fair Rudel, with this ring I thee
wed,' she pressed a large amethyst ring into his hand, 'remember that
the Princess of Tripoli is yours for ever. Now let's sing _Integer
Vitae_ because it's Latin.'

So they sat in the boat and sang. And presently the servants came out to
listen and admire, and at the sound of the servants' approach the
Princess veiled her shining splendour.

'It's prettier than wot the Coventry pageant was, so it is,' said the
cook, 'but it's long past your bed times. So come on out of that there
dangerous boat, there's