covet human hearts? Are they angry because men love them?"—"Shepherd," said she, when he had ceased speaking, "I pity you, it is all I can. I will not love you; I have already too many other troubles. Alas! what would become of me, if, to complete my misfortunes, the troubles of love should be added to them?" "Ah, shepherdess, say rather," cried he, "that if you have sorrows, nothing would more surely alleviate them; I should share them all with you, my only thought would be to please you, and you could trust me with the care of your flock." "Would to heaven," said she, "I had no other cause for uneasiness!" "Can you have any others?" said he, most earnestly; "a being so beautiful, so young, without ambition, unacquainted with the vain grandeurs of a court? But no doubt you love some one here; a rival makes you inexorable to me." In uttering these words, he changed colour; he became sad, for this thought distressed him cruelly. "I will admit you have a hated and detested rival; you would never have seen me, had I not been obliged to fly from his pressing importunities." "Perhaps, shepherdess, you will fly from me, for the same reason; for if you hate him simply for loving you, I must be in your eyes the most hateful of men." "Whether I do not think so," replied she, "or that I look upon you more favourably, I feel I should not go so far to avoid you, as I should to avoid him." The shepherd was transported with joy by these kind words, and from that day, what pains he took to please the Princess!
Every morning he employed himself in seeking for the most beautiful flowers to make into garlands for her; he adorned her crook with a thousand different coloured ribands; he would not allow her to be exposed to the sun; as soon as she came with her flock to the river-side, or in the woods, he twined branches, tied them quickly together, and made arbours with them, under which the turf formed natural couches to repose on. All the trees bore her ciphers; he had carved verses upon them, that spoke but of Carpillon's beauty; he sang but of her; and the young Princess observed all these tokens of the shepherd's passion for her sometimes with pleasure, sometimes with much uneasiness. She loved him, without being quite aware of it; she dared not question herself on the subject, fearing she should find herself too
