e must die after him, for she has worn the Old Brown Coat. If she
remains with the Prince she shall be happy for many years, and be
beloved by her husband and king. If she decide to go, then do you four
bear her away to her father."

Away flew the Tufters to the Palace. Again did Rosedrop fly through the
window, and hovering over the bed, unknown to the Prince give her
message to the sleeping Isal. Again, and at the same time, did a
suggestion fly through the open window of the Queen's mind, showing her
in succession two pictures:--In one she saw a maiden sitting by the
bedside of a dying man in a lonely woodman's hut by the banks of a great
blue river; the woodman's eyes are bent on her and all his pain and
sorrow are gone; gently he closes his life in the sleep of death; and
the maiden alone, with only the dead man upon the bed, sickens also, and
lying upon the other cot, slowly, painfully closes her life with no one
to hold her hand. Then Isal saw another picture--a Queen in the Palace
honored by the people, having everything that she could desire, dearly
loved and cherished by the King her husband, and living thus for many
years, and when dying at last, wept over by all and kissed at the very
moment of death by the good Prince. Then Isal woke up just as before by
the kiss of the Prince, who was leaning over her. "You are sad again, my
Morning-Star," said he. "Be comforted; your father will be found." But
Isal did not tell him her dream this time.

"What is she going to do?" asked the rather forward Tufter of Rosedrop,
as she came forth through the window again.

"She is perplexed," said Rosedrop. "We will come for her answer
to-morrow night." All that day did Isal think over the two pictures she
had seen, until at last the second one quite faded from view; only the
first remained. "I will go," said she to herself, "even if I must die."
The next night when the Tufters came for the answer, they found the
window closed. Rosedrop tapped upon it with her beak. Isal within heard
it. "It is the summons for me to go," said she. She leaned over the
prince; he was asleep; she longed to give him a last kiss. "I will kiss
him very gently," said she, but first she opened the window. There were
the strange birds again; the beautiful one upon the sill; the rest
hovering close by; she went back and lightly kissed the Prince. "Quick!"
she said to herself as he stirred. "He is awaking!" She hastened to the
window; she stood upon th