supported once more the terraces covered with vine stocks and fruit-
trees. Villages and cities grew into form and lay cradled in the
landscape. Beautiful gardens bloomed forth, full of gay flowers, olive-
trees, orange-trees, citron, and fig, and pomegranate-trees, each covered
with its golden fruit of many-seeded apples. In the neighbourhood of the
grotto in which the fairy had been imprisoned a park of incomparable
beauty grew into view, where brooks whispered and fountains played, and
shady pergolas appeared, formed of gold and silver trellises, over which
a thousand luxuriant creepers clambered, holding by their little tendril
hands.

The fallen columns stood up again, the mutilated marble statues found new
noses and arms, and in the background of all this growing magnificence
the young duke perceived-at first dimly, as if obscured by mists, then
more distinctly-the outline of a palace with loggia, balconies, columned
halls, and statues in bronze and marble around the cornice of its flat
roof.

George, the squire, gazed in openmouthed wonder, and his mouth remained
open until he entered the fore-court of the palace. Then he only closed
it to give his jaws a little rest before their future labours began, for
such a good smell from the kitchen greeted him that he ordered the
willing cook to satisfy immediately the demands of his appetite, as his
hunger was greater than his curiosity.

Sir Wendelin continued his way through the passages, chambers, halls, and
courts. Everywhere servants, guards, and heyducks swarmed, and from the
stables he heard the stamping of many horses, and the jingle of their
halter chains as they rattled them against their well-filled mangers.
Choruses of trumpeters played inspiriting fanfares, and from the