After studying these
words for a few moments, Britomart opened this door and passed through
it into a second chamber, whose walls were lined with silver and gold,
where she saw another door above which the same words were written
twice. Opening this door also, Britomart entered into a third
apartment, sparkling with precious stones, in the centre of which she
saw an altar surmounted by a statue of Love. Further investigation
revealed also the fact that it boasted another door above which was
the inscription "Be bold, but not too bold."

Pondering on the meaning of this warning, Britomart decided not to
open it, but to take up her vigil fully armed beside the altar. As the
clock struck midnight, the mysterious door flew open, and through its
portals came a strange procession of beasts and queer mortals, leading
the doleful Amoret, who had a dagger thrust into her heart and
stumbled along in mortal pain. Although Britomart would fain have gone
to Amoret's rescue, she was rooted to the soil by a spell too powerful
to break, and, therefore, remained inactive while the procession
circled around the altar, and again vanished behind the door, which
closed with an ominous clang. Then only the spell lost its power, and
Britomart, springing toward the door, vainly tried to open it. Not
being able to do so, she decided to continue mounting guard on this
spot in hopes of catching another glimpse of the suffering lady. But
only twenty-four hours later the door reopened and the same procession
appeared; it was about to vanish a second time when Britomart, by a
violent effort, broke the spell and dashed into the next apartment
before the door closed.

There, finding the magician Brusirane on the point of binding Amoret
fast to a post, she struck him so powerful a blow that he was obliged
to recognize he was in her power. Britomart was about to slay him when
Amoret reminded her he alone could heal her wound and free the other
inmates of the castle from magic thraldom. At the point of her sword,
therefore, Britomart compelled the magician to undo his spells, and,
when he had pronounced the necessary words, Amoret stood before her as
whole and as well as on her wedding-morn when snatched away from her
bridegroom. Seeing this, Britomart bade Amoret follow her out of the
castle, assuring her that her husband was waiting without and would be
overjoyed to see her once more. But, although the rescued lady now
gladly followed her deliverer,