Next morning the same thing happened. Again Clarissa overslept herself, and on waking found the sun already high in the heavens; again she called to Blanchefleur to make ready while she filled her golden bowl with water at the spring, and again Blanchefleur, half-waking and half-dreaming, replied, 'I come,' and came not, but fell back in slumber, so that Clarissa on hasting to their Lord found no Blanchefleur there. 'Where,' again asked the Admiral, 'is Blanchefleur?' 'Sire,' said Clarissa, 'I called in passing at her door ere filling my golden bowl with water at the spring, and Blanchefleur said she would be here before me.' In some surprise the Admiral then bade a chamberlain go see why Blanchefleur tarried: so the chamberlain hasted to Blanchefleur's chamber, which was all ablaze with precious stones, and there, locked in each other's arms, found Fleur and Blanchefleur, and, taking Fleur in his tender beauty to be Clarissa, the chamberlain had not the heart to wake the two, but hasted back to tell his Lord how sweetly Blanchefleur and Clarissa slept, and, lo! Clarissa stood before him. As for the Admiral, he turned white with fury. _Chapter VIII_ [Illustration] 'Give me my sword,' cried the Admiral, 'and with it I will soon find who is this feigned Clarissa, for here the true one stands before me.' So saying, the furious Lord went with the chamberlain to Blanchefleur's chamber, and when the thick silken curtains were drawn aside and the bright sunlight streamed in, he beheld the sleeping pair, and so fair was Fleur that even the Admiral in his fury doubted if he were not a maiden, but all the same with uplifted sword he prepared to smite both Fleur and Blanchefleur to the death, when suddenly they awoke, and seeing before them this furious Lord with uplifted sword they shed bitter tears, well knowing that they must die. 'Miscreant!' cried the Admiral to Fleur, 'who are you, and how dared you enter into my Tower? For so doing you shall die the death.' 'Have mercy, sire,' said Fleur, 'on the maiden Blanchefleur and on me, for we love each other with a love more true and tender than has e'er been known before!' Then came forward the chamberlain and prayed his Lord to spare the captives that they might have due trial for their offence.