, and will see that you want for nothing."

Next morning Sleepy Tony could not find his consort anywhere. He
remembered what she had told him the evening before, that he must pass
this and all future Thursdays without her. The waiting-maids exerted
themselves to amuse him in every possible manner; they sang, played,
and performed elegant dances, and then set before him such food and
drink that no prince by birthright could have enjoyed better, and the
day passed quicker than he had expected. After supper he laid himself to
rest, and when the cock had crowed three times, the fair one returned to
him. The same thing happened on every following Thursday. He often
implored his beloved to allow him to fast with her on Thursdays, but all
to no purpose. He troubled his consort again on a Wednesday with this
request, and allowed her no rest; but the mermaid said, with tears in
her eyes, "Take my life, if you please; I would lay it down cheerfully;
but I cannot and dare not yield to your wish to take you with me on my
fast-days."

A year or more might have passed in this manner, when doubts arose in
the mind of Sleepy Tony, which became always more tormenting, and
allowed him no peace. His food became distasteful to him and his sleep
refreshed him not. He feared lest the mermaid might have some other
lover in secret besides himself, in whose arms she passed every
Thursday, while he was obliged to pass his time with the waiting-maids.
He had long ago discovered the room in which the mermaid hid herself on
Thursdays, but how did that help him? The door was always locked, and
the windows were so closely hung with double curtains on the inside that
there was not an opening left as large as a needle's eye through which a
sunbeam, much less a human eye, could penetrate. But the more impossible
it seemed to penetrate this secret, the more eager grew his longing to
get to the very bottom of it. Although he never breathed a word of the
weight upon his mind to the mermaid, she could see from his altered
manner that all was not as it should be. Again and again she implored
him with tears in her eyes not to torment both himself and her with evil
thoughts. "I am free from every fault against you," she declared, "and I
have no secret love nor any other sin against you on my conscience. But
your false suspicion makes us both miserable, and will destroy the peace
of our hearts. I would gladly give up every moment of my life to you if
you wishe