The governor wrote letters to the king to tell him the glad news, and
gave them to a messenger to carry with all haste. But the
queen-mother was jealous of Constance, and, when the messenger
passed, called him in and made him drunk with wine. Then, while he
slept, she opened his pouch, took out his letters and changed them,
so that when he came to the king the letters that he delivered were
false ones written by the queen, which said: "Your wife is an elf,
and has borne a baby so ugly and horrible that all are afraid of it."
The king was sad at this news, but he so loved Constance that he
wrote back: "Keep the child till I return; I would obey the will of
God."

Again, as the messenger passed the palace of the king's mother, she
called him in and made him drunk with wine. Then, while he slept, she
opened his pouch, took out the letters and changed them, so that the
letters which the governor received were false ones and said:
"Constance must not abide in this land longer than three days. It is
my will and decree that she be placed in an open boat with her young
son, and left to the mercy of the winds and waves."

The governor wept, and so did all the townsfolk, for they loved
Constance. Yet, as the letter bore the king's seal, they could not
but obey it, thinking it true.

On the fourth day Constance, with deadly pale face, went towards her
little boat. Her baby cried piteously, but she lulled it to sleep,
and placed her kerchief over its face to protect it from the sun.
When she was afloat she prayed: "O Mary, Mother of God, help me now,
a poor mother with her little child, alone, at sea."