she see anything but vanishing forms; and so it was until evening, when
wearied, she sat down on a bench and gazed into her mirror and gave a cry
of joy. "Now," said she, "I love truly. By this sign I know I love truly,
for I see Merlin's face in the mirror and not my own."

Then she went alone to her rooms through the vast corridors, and stood
before the long mirrors which were not magic, but only meant to
reflect earthly vanities; and from the shining marble floor came up a
kind of radiance about her. She opened the cedar doors of the
wardrobes, and there issued a scent as of costly silk that has been
perfumed with iris root.

The temptation was heavy upon her to clothe herself delicately that she
might please Merlin; and never before had beautiful clothes seemed so
wonderful to her. She ran her long white fingers through the folds of
silk, and let the laces cascade over her arms; but in the end she changed
only her wooden shoes for little dancing slippers of violet velvet, and
again she put fresh violets in her hair.

When she entered the banquet hall, she found the King on the dais, and on
one side of him stood Prince Hugh in a rose-satin dancing dress; and on
the other Prince Richard in a garb of yellow velvet. Both wore jeweled
girdles to which were attached little shining swords with opals in the
hilts. About the throne were grouped the courtiers; and beyond the
courtiers were the knights and ladies of the frescoed walls which bore
the history of King Cuthbert's ancestors; girls like drifting blossoms,
matrons like sweet fruit, and knights like strong trees.

The white velvet curtains before the tall casements shut out the stars,
but all the heavens seemed recorded by the glowing wax-candles. Down the