me
chance would turn up in his favor. As he began to speak to Angelica, he
forgot about the rose, and of course it dropped out of his mouth. The
romantic Princess instantly stooped and seized it. "Sweet rose!" she
exclaimed, "that bloomed upon my Bulbo's lip, never, never will I part
from thee!" and she placed it in her bosom. And you know Bulbo COULDN'T
ask her to give the rose back again. And they went to breakfast; and as
they walked, it appeared to Bulbo that Angelica became more exquisitely
lovely every moment.

He was frantic until they were married; and now, strange to say, it was
Angelica who didn't care about him! He knelt down, he kissed her hand,
he prayed and begged; he cried with admiration; while she for her part
said she really thought they might wait; it seemed to her he was not
handsome any more--no, not at all, quite the reverse; and not clever,
no, very stupid; and not well bred, like Giglio; no, on the contrary,
dreadfully vul--

What, I cannot say, for King Valoroso roared out "POOH, stuff!" in a
terrible voice. "We will have no more of this shilly-shallying! Call the
Archbishop, and let the Prince and Princess be married offhand!"

So, married they were, and I am sure for my part I trust they will be
happy.

XII. HOW BETSINDA FLED, AND WHAT BECAME OF HER.

Betsinda wandered on and on, till she passed through the town gates, and
so on the great Crim Tartary road, the very way on which Giglio too
was going. "Ah!" thought she, as the diligence passed her, of which the
conductor was blowing a delightful tune on his horn, "how I should like
to be on that coach!" But the coach and the jingling horses were very
soon gone. She little knew who was in it, though very likely she was
thinking of him all the time.

Then came an empty cart, returning from market; and the driver being
a kind man, and seeing such a very pretty girl trudging along the road
with bare feet, most good-naturedly gave her a seat. He said he lived on
the confines of the forest, where his old father was a woodman, and, if
she liked, he would take her so far on her road. All roads were the same
to little Betsinda, so she very thankfully took this one.

And the carter put a cloth round her bare feet, and gave her some bread
and cold bacon, and was very kind to her. For all that she was very cold
and melancholy. When after travelling on and on, evening came, and all
the black pines were bending with snow, and there, at last, was