more, they saw him come forth followed by his train, and ride rapidly away towards the forest. Blanchefleur marked the gleam of the starlight reflected on his golden helmet as he waved it for a last adieu. CHAPTER XIII. How the Lady Gabrielle, and the Lady Blanchefleur, were carried away by the Moorish Prince. Some weeks had now past since the departure of Sir Folko, when one evening the three ladies were walking along the sea-shore, discoursing together, and enjoying the cool breezes from the water. “Methinks, Blanchefleur,” said Bertha, “your brother has not done well to leave the Moorish prince here alone with us in the castle, especially as the stranger continues to maintain that he is no longer bound by the conditions on which he came. You know he speaks in jest; but I own, that I distrust him mightily, and feel a certain horror, which I cannot well describe, at his presence.” “There we listen again to the grave German damsel,” said Gabrielle, “so precise, and so demurely timid! There are few knights, this you must at least confess, who surpass, or even equal, this noble Mutza in courtesy of manners, princely demeanour, or ingenious and witty discourse. Besides, I have seldom seen any man so handsome, and, methinks, he is now by far the most brilliant ornament of our lonely castle.” “Handsome!” replied Bertha, slowly and reflectingly; “are you both of that mind? When I calmly reflect on the matter, I cannot indeed say that you are in the wrong; though I, for my own part, should never have thought so. Mark you, he is tall indeed, slender, has fine eyes, a high forehead, and majestic gait. Moreover, when he dances the toca, with his turban loose and fluttering about him, it is doubtless a pleasure to look upon him, and he is like what we read of in old fables, starting into real life before us; but, strange as you may think my fancies, when smiling, as if in scorn and triumph, he opens his lips, and shews his long white teeth, I feel almost as if I had beside me a half-tamed tiger! The tiger too is said to be a beautiful creature,--only for my part I wish not for any such companion!”