ook counsel with him on many subjects touching
his honour and the welfare of his people.

And if the people loved him, how much more Melior, who saw him about the
court all day long, and knew the store her father set on him? Yet she
remembered with sadness certain whispers she had heard of a match
between herself and a foreign prince, and if her father had promised her
hand nought would make him break his word.

So she sighed and bewailed herself in secret, till her cousin
Alexandrine marked that something was amiss.

'Tell me all your sickness,' said Alexandrine one day, 'and what grieves
you so sorely. You know that you can trust me, for I have served you
truly, and perhaps I may be able to help you in this strait!'

[Illustration: The lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine]

Then Melior told her, and Alexandrine listened in amaze. From his
childhood William and the two girls had played together, and well
Alexandrine knew that the emperor had cast his eyes upon another
son-in-law. Still, she loved her cousin, and she loved William too, so
she said.

'Mourn no longer, madam; I am skilled in magic, and can heal you. So
weep no more.' And Melior took heart and was comforted.

That night Alexandrine caused William to dream a dream in which the
whole world vanished away, and only he and Melior were left. In a moment
he felt that as long as she was there the rest might go, and that she
was the princess that was waiting for every prince. But who was he that
he should dare to ask for the emperor's daughter? and what chance had he
amongst the noble suitors who now began to throng the palace? These
thoughts made him very sad, and he went about his duties with a face as
long as Melior's was now.

Alexandrine paid no heed to his gloomy looks. She was very wise, and for
some days left her magic to work. At last one morning she thought the
time had come to heal the wounds she had caused, and planned a meeting
between them. After this they had no more need of her, neither did
Melior weep any longer.

For a while they were content, and asked nothing more than to see each
other every day, as they had always done. But soon a fresh source of
grief came. A war broke out, in which William, now a knight, had to
follow the emperor, and more than once saved the life of his master. On
their return, when the enemy was put to flight, the expected ambassadors
from Greece arrived at court, to seek the hand of Melior, which was
readily gran