h that lovely face she can be as ill-tempered
and contemptible as they say. No, no, the Queen must be jealous of her
for the sake of that ugly daughter of hers, and so these evil reports
are spread.'

The courtiers could not help seeing that what they had told the King did
not please him, and one of them cunningly began to praise Fiordelisa,
when he could talk to the King without being heard by the others.

King Charming thereupon became so cheerful, and interested in all he
said, that it was easy to guess how much he admired the Princess. So
when the Queen sent for the courtiers and questioned them about all they
had found out, their report confirmed her worst fears. As to the poor
Princess Fiordelisa, she cried all night without stopping.

'It would have been quite bad enough to be shut up in this gloomy tower
before I had ever seen King Charming,' she said; 'but now when he is
here, and they are all enjoying themselves with him, it is too unkind.'

The next day the Queen sent King Charming splendid presents of jewels
and rich stuffs, and among other things an ornament made expressly in
honour of the approaching wedding. It was a heart cut out of one huge
ruby, and was surrounded by several diamond arrows, and pierced by one.
A golden true-lover's knot above the heart bore the motto, 'But one can
wound me,' and the whole jewel was hung upon a chain of immense pearls.
Never, since the world has been a world, had such a thing been made, and
the King was quite amazed when it was presented to him. The page who
brought it begged him to accept it from the Princess, who chose him to
be her knight.

'What!' cried he, 'does the lovely Princess Fiordelisa deign to think of
me in this amiable and encouraging way?'

'You confuse the names, Sire,' said the page hastily. 'I come on behalf
of the Princess Turritella.'

'Oh, it is Turritella who wishes me to be her knight,' said the King
coldly. 'I am sorry that I cannot accept the honour.' And he sent the
splendid gifts back to the Queen and Turritella, who were furiously
angry at the contempt with which they were treated. As soon as he
possibly could, King Charming went to see the King and Queen, and as he
entered the hall he looked for Fiordelisa, and every time anyone came in
he started round to see who it was, and was altogether so uneasy and
dissatisfied that the Queen saw it plainly. But she would not take any
notice, and talked of nothing but the entertainments she was