high and noble as your birth. Princesses like you should set the greatest examples to the world; and what finer example can there be, than that of obedience to a father and sacrificing one's-self to please him? Promise me, therefore, that you will not manifest your antipathy to Grognon." The poor princess had much difficulty in summoning up resolution to promise: but the prudent nurse gave her so many excellent reasons, that at length she pledged her word to put a good face on the matter, and behave courteously to her step-mother. She then proceeded to dress herself in a gown of green and gold brocade, her long fair hair falling in wavy folds upon her shoulders, and fanned by the passing breezes, as was the fashion in those days, and crowned with a light wreath of roses and jasmine, the leaves of which were made of emeralds. In this attire, Venus, the mother of the loves, would have looked less beautiful, notwithstanding the air of melancholy which she could not altogether banish from her countenance.
But to return to Grognon. The ugly creature was excessively occupied with her toilette. She had one shoe made half a cubit higher in the heel than the other, in order to appear less lame, a boddice stuffed upon one shoulder to conceal the hump on its fellow. A glass eye, the best she could procure, to replace the one she had lost. She painted her brown skin white, dyed her red hair black, and then put on an open robe of amaranth coloured satin faced with blue, and a yellow petticoat, trimmed with violet ribbon. She determined to make her entrée on horseback, because she had heard it was a custom of the queens of Spain.
Whilst the king was giving his orders, and Gracieuse awaiting the moment of departure to meet Grognon, she descended, alone into the palace gardens and strolled into a little gloomy grove, where she sat down upon the grass. "At length," she said, "I am at liberty, and may cry as much as I please without any one to check me!" and accordingly she sighed and wept so excessively, that her eyes appeared like two fountains in full play. In this sad state she no longer thought of returning to the Palace, when she saw a page approaching, dressed in green satin, with a plume of white feathers in his cap and the handsomest countenance in the world. Bending one knee to the ground, he said, "Princess, the king awaits
