At this moment Abricotina entered the room, and falling at her lovely
mistress' feet, gave her a full account of what had befallen her, and
described the prince in the most glowing colors.

"I should have hated all men," added she, "had I not seen him! Oh,
madam, how charming he is! His air and all his behavior have something
in them so noble; and though whatever he spoke was infinitely pleasing,
yet I think I did well in not bringing him hither."

To this the princess said nothing, but she asked Abricotina a hundred
other questions concerning the prince; whether she knew his name, his
country, his birth, from whence he came, and whither he was going; and
after this she fell into a profound thoughtfulness.

Leander observed everything, and continued to chatter as he had begun.

"Abricotina is ungrateful, madam," said he; "that poor stranger will die
for grief if he sees you not."

"Well, parrot, let him die," answered the princess with a sigh; "and
since thou undertakest to reason like a person of wit, and not a little
bird, I forbid thee to talk to me any more of this unknown person."

Leander was overjoyed to find that Abricotina's and the parrot's
discourse had made such an impression on the princess. He looked upon
her with pleasure and delight. "Can it be," said he to himself, "that
the masterpiece of nature, that the wonder of our age, should be
confined eternally in an island, and no mortal dare to approach her?
But," continued he, "wherefore am I concerned that others are banished