So, when the table was cleared, Daries desired his guest to declare his grief, if so be that help for it might be found in counsel. But said Lycoris again: "Sir, so far as I can judge by his mien and bearing, I deem that this youth grieves for the maiden Blanchefleur, who, now shut up in the Admiral"s high tower, spent two weeks with us in grievous sorrow of heart, bewailing her sad fate in being thus sold away far from the youth she loved, and for whose sake she shed many a tear and heaved many a sigh; and, as you may remember, sir, on leaving us this Blanchefleur was bought by the Admiral for ten times her weight in gold.
Now, to my thinking, this youth is brother or lover to the maiden Blanchefleur."
"No brother but her lover am I!" cried Fleur in glad surprise; then bethinking him how by such heedless speech his life was put in peril, he cried again: "No! no! I don"t mean that; I am brother and not lover to Blanchefleur. We are children of the same parents."
"With all respect for your word, young sir, you contradict yourself in one breath," said Daries the host. "Best speak the truth out plainly as, forsooth, I now do in declaring that it were madness to come in quest of the maiden Blanchefleur; for, if the Admiral but hears of you, you are a dead man."
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"Sir," said Fleur, "hear the whole truth--I am son to the King of Spain, and seek my stolen Blanchefleur, without whom I cannot live; help me to her, and I will give you gold to your heart"s content, for ere another moon has waxed and waned, find her I must or die."
"Life," replied Daries, "were ill lost for sake of a maiden, whom no aid of mine can make your own, seeing that not, were the whole world to help you, could Blanchefleur be taken from the Admiral, Lord of a hundred kings, whose city Babylon is a four-square of twenty miles, and has for its defence walls full seventy feet in height, built of a stone so hard that no engine of war from enemies without can pierce their stony front, and in these walls are three-and-thirty doors of solid steel let in with cunning art, and high uplifted are seven hundred towers, the loftiest ever seen by mortal eye, and these towers are guarded by seven hundred great lords, each one of whom is great as any king; and if all these suffice not to prove the madness of your quest, know that in the heart of the city a mighty castle stands; four stories high is the castle, and on the fourth and topmost dwells your Blanchefleur, together with four other n.o.ble damsels in a fair chamber, whose windows are cased in wood of the sweet-scented myrtle tree, while its doors are formed of ebony that never yields to fire, and this ebony is overlaid with beaten gold, on which are graven strange devices of words and scroll and flower-work, and, because none but maidens dwell there, this tower is called the Maidens" Tower. In its midst stands a crystal pillar, and from the pillar gushes forth a fountain, whose waters are led on arches into every room, and so back into the pillar; and from the maidens" chamber a winding stair leads to that wherein dwells the Admiral himself, and whither, for fourteen days" service at a time, two maidens must wait morning and evening on their Lord, one with a fair linen towel, the other with water in a golden bowl. Fierce and cruel beyond words is the watchman of this tower, and any man who, without good and lawful cause, approaches it, he slays. Besides all this, the tower day and night is guarded by sixteen furious men, who never close their eyes in sleep; and there is yet another strange thing which you shall hear.
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"Every springtide the Admiral takes to him a wife; and when the year is out, he calls to him all the lords, kings, and princes of his realm, and in their presence casts off his wife, and causes a knight to behead her, that no man may wed her after him; thus with the bitterness of an early death does she pay for the fleeting honour of royal wedlock; and when his wife is dead, the Admiral, with intent to replace her with another, summons the maidens who are within the tower to appear before him in a garden, which trembling they enter, none coveting the fatal honour of his choice. This garden, which walls of gold and lapis-lazuli enclose, contains n.o.ble trees of every kind, so that in it may be found at all seasons every fruit known to mankind; precious spices also abound, such as ginger, cinnamon, balm, cloves, nutmeg, and mace; all which, together with the scent of flowers and the song of birds, makes of this garden a very earthly paradise. In the midst of this paradise gushes forth a spring of clear water, and overhanging the spring is a tree, ever green and ever putting forth fresh blossoms and varied fruits.
"Beneath this tree the Admiral, surrounded by his lords, takes his seat; and when seated, he causes the maidens one by one to cross the stream before him; if they be good maidens and true the water remains clear as crystal, but if it turn dark and turbid they may prepare for death. This ordeal pa.s.sed, the Admiral calls the maidens before him beneath the blooming tree, which by magic art drops one of its rosy blossoms on her whom its Lord loves best, and who accordingly becomes Queen for one fleeting year. Now, dear youth, bethink you what wise man would cheer you on in the quest of Blanchefleur, seeing that, ere this very month be out, the Admiral will hold this marriage feast with a new-made wife, who all say will be this Blanchefleur, whose loveliness has won his heart?
Moreover, for some time past, it is she and Clarissa, her companion, who have been called to wait on their Lord, morning and evening, with the linen towel and the golden bowl; for which cause they live in daily terror of being chosen, the one or other, to be his crowned victim."
"Oh good mine host!" cried Fleur, goaded to madness by what he heard, "help me with your counsel how to act. My Blanchefleur will I claim within that garden, for she is mine, and mine alone. What if I die?
Death for her sake is sweet, as it but sends me on before to that fair paradise whither her soul will follow mine, to dwell for ever amid the flowers."
"Young man," said the host, "by your readiness to brave all perils--nay, even death itself--for sake of your dear love, I see that you are steadfast of purpose; and therefore, though perilling my own life thereby, I will give you counsel which, if followed, shall not turn to your hurt." So saying, Daries took Fleur aside, and in secret unfolded to him a plan, which Fleur accepting with grateful heart followed out in such wise as the coming chapter will record.
_Chapter VI_
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Arising betimes next day, Fleur, as instructed by his host, arrayed himself with great magnificence, and in this bravery of attire started for the Maidens" Tower. When come there, he set with great seeming earnestness and diligence to measuring the tower"s dimensions of height, depth, length, and breadth; soon, however, his business was rudely interrupted by the watchman, who, catching sight of this measuring stranger, shouted at him for a spy, asking by what right or by whose leave he came there to meddle with the tower of the Lord High Admiral of Babylon.
Unabashed by this rough reception, Fleur replied in easy, careless phrase: "Friend, the shape and form of your tower please me so well that I am taking their dimensions, with intent, on returning to my own land, of building me such a tower to be my treasure-house; and taking this one of yours to be used for the like purpose, I would fain seek admittance to examine it within as well as without, which admittance might indeed be granted to me without fear by you and your Lord, seeing that I am wealthier than the two of you put together."
"In mistrusting this man I erred," thought the watchman; "for, indeed, such rich attire would ill become a spy." So, after putting some searching questions to test his quality, the watchman, eased of doubt by the ready answers he received, invited the stranger to step into his house and play a game of chess; and when Fleur, accepting the challenge and invitation, was come in, his host and opponent said, "Now, sir, say what shall be the stakes?"
"A hundred byzants a side," said Fleur.
"Done with you!" cried the host; and when, at his call, a chess-board of ebony and ivory was brought, the two sate down to play.
Now Fleur wore upon his finger that priceless ring, his mother"s parting gift, and in playing took heed to keep its gem turned outwards towards his opponent, who, seeing, coveted the jewel; and by keeping his eye on it and off the board, speedily lost the game, and with it, to his fury, the double stakes; but Fleur, forewarned by the friendly Daries that his antagonist"s greed of gain equalled his love of chess, refused to take the winnings, and was accordingly invited by the grateful loser to come and play a return match on the morrow. Fleur accepted the challenge, and next day staking two hundred byzants against as many on the watchman"s side, he again contrived, by help of the ring, to win the game and stakes, and as before handed over the latter to his antagonist, who, equally amazed and delighted by such unwonted liberality, declared himself ready to perform any service for so generous a player. Next day the stakes rose to four hundred byzants on either side, and were won by Fleur, who promptly relieved the horror of his host at such heavy loss by handing over to him the entire eight hundred. Overcome by such liberality, the watchman invited his n.o.ble opponent to a collation in his chamber on the following day; and when Fleur thus bidden appeared, he brought with him his splendid drinking-cup, and placed it on the board before him.
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The watchman, unable to keep his eyes off the cup, so greatly did he admire it, offered, if his guest would play him for it, to stake a thousand byzants on his side.
"Sell or game away the cup I may not," replied Fleur; "but for help in the time of need I will freely give it."
Then, overcome by greed of so goodly a gift, the watchman swore to Fleur that he would be his man, and do service good and true, whensoever and howsoever he might be called on.
Having thus made sure of the guardian of the tower, Fleur plainly said that he must find his way within to his beloved or die.
"Ah, friend!" cried the watchman, sorely repenting him of his rash promise; "I fear me your riches have lured me on to the destruction of us both; nevertheless, the word that I have given I will keep, so return now to your lodging, and there abide for two days; and on the third, which will be May Day, come again to me, all clad from head to foot in rosy red, and you shall be borne up to the topmost story of the tower where Blanchefleur dwells."
_Chapter VII_
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At the bidding of his watchman friend Fleur went back to his lodging, and there in hope and joy abode for two long days; and when the third, which was May Day, dawned, he arose and clad himself from head to foot in rosy red and hasted to the tower; and when he came to the guard-room, he found a great basket on the floor, and heaped up around the basket were all the fresh-blown flowers of spring that the watchman had caused to be gathered from the gardens of Babylon, as May-Day offering to Blanchefleur.
"Sir," said the watchman, "here lay you down within the basket and stir not."
So when Fleur was laid down flat and still, within the basket, the watchman put a hat of red upon his head, and, this done, covered him all over with piles of flowers. This done, he called two strong porters and said, "Carry up this basket of flowers as my May-Day offering to the maiden Blanchefleur, and when you have presented it, tarry not, but come again to me."
So the porters, obedient to their officer, took up the basket and began to ascend the stairs; but ere they were half-way up, they began to halt and curse, vowing that never in all their days had they carried such heavy flowers; and when at length the top was reached, they mistook the chamber, for they knocked at Clarissa"s door, shouting, "Here, open! to receive the watchman"s May-Day offering to the maiden Blanchefleur."
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And at the sound of Blanchefleur"s name Clarissa ran and opened wide the door; but without telling the porters of their error, she suffered them to bring their flowery burden in and then depart. When they were gone, Clarissa came and took from the basket a flower that pleased her, whereupon Fleur, thinking she was Blanchefleur, sprang out, and so startled the maiden that she cried in fright: "Oh! what is that? Oh!
what can that be?" And at her cry the other maidens came running in to know what had affrighted Clarissa, their companion, but Fleur they marked not, because he had laid him down again beneath the blossoms, and, being clothed in rosy red, was not distinguished from the roses which were his bed; then Clarissa, calling to mind how often she had heard Blanchefleur speak of a youth in Spain of form and face resembling her own, bethought her that this May-Day offering might be the Spanish love of Blanchefleur; so with a laugh she dismissed the maidens who were her fellows, saying that a hornet springing out from amid the flowers had frighted her. Reader, picture to yourself the terror of Fleur on finding he was discovered! But fortune was kind, for Clarissa, the captive daughter of a Duke of Alemannia, was the bosom friend of lovely Blanchefleur, and often had the two together bemoaned their lot in being the pair appointed to wait morning and evening on the Admiral with the linen hand-towel and water in the golden bowl.
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Now as the chambers of these two maidens adjoined, and a door led from the one into the other, Clarissa with care closed her outer door and pa.s.sed through the inner one into the chamber of Blanchefleur, whom she found sitting all woebegone and rapt in thought of her absent love.
"Blanchefleur!" cried Clarissa, "come with me and I will show you flowers such as you never saw before."
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"Alas! Clarissa," replied the mournful, drooping Blanchefleur, "my heart is too heavy to be cheered by flowers, seeing that I am so far from my love and he from me."
"Cease your wailing," cried Clarissa, "and dear as your love may be, yet come and see the lovely flowers!"
So Blanchefleur slowly rising came to see the flowers, whereupon Fleur, who heard the voice and knew his love was near, sprang from among the blossoms, all clad like the roses in rosy red, and Blanchefleur knew him, and he knew her, and they gazed speechless with love and joy face to face upon each other, and silently they fell on each other"s neck with kisses and fond embraces, until at length Blanchefleur found words to say, "Clarissa! behold my love! my heart"s delight, my comfort, and my joy!" Then the two joined in praying good Clarissa not to part their love by declaring it, as that would be their death.
"Have no fear," replied Clarissa; "I will help you as best I can; the food and wine that are brought for two will suffice for three, and you will find me ever true."
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Then the two lovers went into Blanchefleur"s chamber, and sitting them down upon the bed, which was spread with a gold-embroidered silken cover, they told each other all that had befallen them since their parting.
"Ah, love!" sighed Fleur, "what have I not suffered for your sake? I had well-nigh died of sorrow."