us both; nevertheless, the word that I have given I will keep, so return
now to your lodging, and there abide for two days; and on the third,
which will be May Day, come again to me, all clad from head to foot in
rosy red, and you shall be borne up to the topmost story of the tower
where Blanchefleur dwells.'




_Chapter VII_


[Illustration]

At the bidding of his watchman friend Fleur went back to his lodging,
and there in hope and joy abode for two long days; and when the third,
which was May Day, dawned, he arose and clad himself from head to foot
in rosy red and hasted to the tower; and when he came to the guard-room,
he found a great basket on the floor, and heaped up around the basket
were all the fresh-blown flowers of spring that the watchman had caused
to be gathered from the gardens of Babylon, as May-Day offering to
Blanchefleur.

'Sir,' said the watchman, 'here lay you down within the basket and stir
not.'

So when Fleur was laid down flat and still, within the basket, the
watchman put a hat of red upon his head, and, this done, covered him all
over with piles of flowers. This done, he called two strong porters and
said, 'Carry up this basket of flowers as my May-Day offering to the