golden locks, or to imagine anything more gentle than the way she
tended all the birds and beasts who inhabited her small kingdom, and who
all loved and followed her. Prince Narcissus watched her every movement,
and hovered near her in a dream of delight, not daring as yet to appear
to her, so humble had he suddenly become in her presence. And when
evening came, and the nurse fetched the Princess into her little house,
he felt obliged to go back to Frivola's palace, for fear his absence
should be noticed and someone should discover his new treasure. But he
forgot that to go back absent, and dreamy, and indifferent, when he
had before been gay and ardent about everything, was the surest way
of awakening suspicion; and when, in response to the jesting questions
which were put to him upon the subject, he only blushed and returned
evasive answers, all the ladies were certain that he had lost his heart,
and did their utmost to discover who was the happy possessor of it. As
to the Prince, he was becoming day by day more attached to Potentilla,
and his one thought was to attend her, always invisible, and help her in
everything she did, and provide her with everything that could possibly
amuse or please her. And the Princess, who had learnt to find diversion
in very small things in her quiet life, was in a continual state of
delight over the treasures which the Prince constantly laid where she
must find them. Then Narcissus implored his faithful friend Melinette to
send the Princess such dreams of him as should make her recognise him as
a friend when he actually appeared before her eyes; and this device was
so successful that the Princess quite dreaded the cessation of
these amusing dreams, in which a certain Prince Narcissus was such a
delightful lover and companion. After that he went a step further and
began to have long talks with the Princess--still, however, keeping
himself invisible, until she begged him so earnestly to appear to her
that he could no longer resist, and after making her promise that, no
matter what he was like, she would still love him, he drew the ring from
his finger, and the Princess saw with delight that he was as handsome
as he was agreeable. Now, indeed, they were perfectly happy, and they
passed the whole long summer day in Potentilla's favourite place by the
brook, and when at last Prince Narcissus had to leave her it seemed to
them both that the hours had gone by with the most amazing swiftness.
Th