r
command, no matter how painful it may be."

"Say yes, my dear Rosette, to Prince Charmant," replied the soft voice
of the fairy. "I myself arranged this marriage. It was to make you
acquainted with Prince Charmant that I forced your father to invite you
to this festival."

Rosette thanked the kind fairy and slept the sleep of innocence, after
having felt the maternal lips of her good protectress upon her cheeks.

THIRD AND LAST DAY OF THE FESTIVAL

While Rosette was thus sleeping peacefully, the king, the queen, and
Orangine and Roussette, purple with rage, were quarrelling and disputing
amongst themselves. Each was accusing the other of having brought about
the triumph of Rosette and their own humiliating defeat. One last hope
remained for them. In the morning there was to be a chariot race. Each
chariot was to be drawn by two horses and driven by a lady. It was
resolved to give Rosette a very high chariot, drawn by two wild,
untrained and prancing horses.

"Prince Charmant will have no chariot and horses to exchange," said the
queen, "as he had this morning in the case of the riding-horse. It is
easy to find a horse for the saddle but it will be impossible for him to
find a chariot ready for the course."

The consoling thought that Rosette might be killed or grievously
wounded and disfigured on the morrow brought peace to these four wicked
beings. They retired and dreamed of the next best means of ridding
themselves of Rosette if the chariot race failed. Orangine and Roussette
slept but little so that in the morning they were still uglier and more
unprepossessing than they had appeared the day before.

Rosette, who had a tranquil conscience and contented heart, slept all
night calmly. She had been much fatigued and did not wake till a late
hour. Indeed, on rising she found she had scarcely time to dress. The
coarse kitchen girl brought her a cup of milk and a piece of bread. This
was by order of the queen who directed that she should be treated like a
servant.

Rosette was not difficult to please. She ate the coarse bread and milk
with appetite and began to dress. The case of carved ivory had
disappeared. She put on as usual her robe of coarse cloth, her pullet's
wing, and all the rude ornaments she had brought from the farm and then
looked at herself in the glass.

She was attired in a riding habit of straw-colored satin, embroidered in
front and at the hem with sapphires and emeralds. Her hat wa