Will you live eternally unknown in a corner of the world, concealed
from the rest of human kind? Of what use is all your grandeur, pomp,
magnificence, if nobody sees it?"

"Hold thy peace, prattler," replied the princess, "and do not disturb
that happy repose which I have enjoyed so long."

Abricotina durst make no reply; and the princess, having waited her
answer for some time, asked her whether she had anything to say.
Abricotina then said she thought it was to very little purpose her
mistress having sent her picture to the courts of several princes, where
it only served to make those who saw it miserable; that every one would
be desirous to marry her, and as she could not marry them all, indeed
none of them, it would make them desperate.

"Yet, for all that," said the princess, "I could wish my picture were in
the hands of this same stranger."

"Oh, madam," answered Abricotina, "is not his desire to see you violent
enough already? Would you augment it?"

"Yes," cried the princess; "a certain impulse of vanity, which I was
never sensible of till now, has bred this foolish fancy in me."

Leander heard all this discourse, and lost not a tittle of what she
said; some of her expressions gave him hope, others absolutely destroyed
it. The princess presently asked Abricotina whether she had seen
anything extraordinary during her short travels.

"Madam," said she, "I passed through one forest where I saw certain