"Dance with yourself, beggar-girl," and he had the heralds proclaim
that this stranger who wore brown wool in court would go on the floor
alone. Everyone laughed and clapped their hands, only Prince Merlin bit
his lip and looked prouder than ever, which, when she saw, the Princess
Myrtle thought, "I will dance so beautifully that he will ask me to be
his partner."

Then she let down her hair from beneath her crown of flowers, and went
into the center of the circle that the court had formed, and began to
sway a little like a flower in the breeze. Soon the court found itself
swaying with her, so that it was like a garden when the wind rises. But
when all were moving, the Princess saw that Prince Merlin stood like a
pine-tree that will not bend its head unless the tempest comes out of
the North. So she changed from a flower to a butterfly and began a
fluttering, glancing motion, and threw back her golden locks like
wings. Everyone watching her became very still, only Prince Merlin
moved restlessly, and once he put his hand across his eyes as if the
sun were in them.

When she had finished the King cried "Bravo," and then the court crowded
about her, and Prince Hugh and Prince Richard asked her to dance with
them; but Prince Merlin did not ask her, though he led out many ladies;
and because of that it was as if she were dancing in the snow and rain,
or on sharp stones.

The pain in her heart grew violent, and drove her at last to the
orange-tree near which he stood. On the edge of its marble tub she sat
down to rest, and all at once a golden orange dropped in her lap. She
held it out to him. "You have drowned your scarlet ball, take this."