But night by night, silver, or ruddy, or primrose, it lit a place for itself
in the heavens; and years went by, bringing the Princess no nearer to her
desire to find room for Hands-pansy amid the splendours of her throne.

She knew that he was five thousand miles away and had only wooden peasant
shoes to walk in; and when she begged that she might once more have sight of
him, her whole court, with the greatest utterable politeness, cried "No!"

The Princess's memory sang to her of him in a thousand tunes, like woodland
birds carolling; but it was within the cage which men call a crown that her
thoughts moved, fluttering to be out of it and free.

So time went on, and Nillywill had entered gently into sweet womanhood--the
comeliest princess that ever dropped a tear; and all she could do for love was
to fill her garden with dark-eyed pansies, and walk among their humble
upturned faces which reminded her so well of her dear Hands--Hands who was a
long five thousand miles away. "And, oh !" she sighed, watching for the blue
moon to rise, "when will it come and make me at one with all my wish?"

Looking up, she used to wonder what went on there. She and Hands had stolen
into the woods, when children together, and watched the small earth-fairies at
play, and had seen them, when the moon was full, lift up their arms to it,
making, perhaps, signals of greeting to far-off moon-brothers. So she thought
to herself, "What kind are the fairies up there, and who is the greatest
moon-fairy of all who makes the blue moon rise and bring good-will to the sad
wishers of the human race? Is it," thought Nillywill, "the moon-fairy who then
opens its heart and brings down healing therefrom to lovers upon earth?"

And now, as happens to all those who are captives of a crown, Nillywill