understood his language, and, responding to his wishes, "Go! Fly, charming Pigeon," said she to him. "Here is the ring, which will be your guide; take great care not to lose it, for you alone can extricate Constancia from the strait she is in."
Prince Pigeon, as I have already told you, had not left himself a single feather. He had torn them all out in his extreme despair. The Fairy rubbed him all over with a wonderful essence, that clothed him immediately with plumage so beautiful and extraordinary that the doves of Venus were not worthy to be compared to him. He was delighted to see himself in such fine feathers again, and taking wing directly, he reached by break of day the top of the tower, the diamond walls of which glittered so brightly that the sun in his splendour could not outshine them. On the summit of the keep there was an extensive garden, in the midst of which rose an orange-tree laden with flowers and fruit. The rest of the garden was very curious, and Prince Pigeon would have taken considerable pleasure in its contemplation had not his mind been occupied by more important matters.
He perched on the orange-tree, holding the ring in his claw, and was getting terribly anxious, when the Princess entered the garden. She wore a long white robe, her head was covered with a great black veil embroidered with gold. It was drawn close over her face, and trailed on the ground all around her. The enamoured Pigeon could not doubt that it was she, had it been possible even for another to possess a form so fine, or an air so majestic. She advanced and seated herself under the orange-tree; and suddenly throwing up her veil, the Pigeon was for a few minutes perfectly dazzled with her beauty.
"Sad regrets, melancholy thoughts!" she exclaimed, "ye are now useless. My woeful heart has passed a whole twelve-month between hope and fear; but the fatal period has arrived. To-day—in a few hours—I must die, or marry the giant. Alas! is it possible that the Sovereign Fairy and Prince Constancio can have so utterly abandoned me? What have I done to them to deserve it? But to what end are these reflections? Is it not better for me to take at once the great step I have resolved on?" She rose with a determined
