"But good my mother, the Prince loves me too well to offer me aught that could be a source of sorrow to me. What is the gift?" "It is an Æolian harp," said the Queen, in a whisper. "An Æolian harp! I have never seen one. Methinks it must be a sweet instrument." The Queen sighed heavily. She feared that her sin against truth would overtake her at last. Myra found the Prince and his attendants engaged in fixing the wind harp outside her casement. "There," he said, as he bent his knee and saluted her hand, "when I am away this will discourse to thee of love." "But why place it outside the casement, good my lord? I cannot learn to play upon it there." "Sweet Princess, thou couldst never play upon it, nor could I. The Wind alone can draw music from its heart. When he sweeps the strings the melody is as the very breath of love, so tender and yet so wailing is the strain." "The Wind!" exclaimed the Princess. "Hast ever seen the Wind?" "Ay, and romped with him and flown with him over sea and earth." "Ah! now thou art pleased to be merry, as thou wert yesterday when I saw thee talking to the King, ere we had met. Thy countenance was full of mirth and sunlight then. Tell me, why art thou changed? Wherefore art thou sad?" "Dear one, I am not sad when I have thy companionship. It is only the thought of losing thee that shadows my face." So they passed out of the chamber into the garden. Thus the time wore away. Summer began to wane. The nights grew longer and the days more brief. The King's impatience to see his daughter married increased hourly. Yet the Prince daily put him off with excuses when asked to fix the date of the wedding. At length His Majesty grew angry at the delay. "It is time," he said to Myra, "that thou wast settled in life. We are old, and in all probability have little longer to live. Thy good lord seemeth all he should be. In grace of form and beauty of face he stands unsurpassed. But methinks, for all that, he means thee ill." "Indeed, my father, thou art wrong to say so," replied the Princess, with difficulty suppressing her anger. "He is truth itself, and he loves me." "But he will not marry thee!" the King muttered. "There, again, thou art mistaken, my lord. He will marry me to-day--at once, so thou stand pleased withal!" "Bring him before us, then, and let us hear his vow." Myra made a deep obeisance, and left the King's closet. Immediately she had gone His Majesty despatched a page to summon the Queen and Council. They were all assembled before Myra entered with her lover. She had not told him for what reason she had been sent in search of him; therefore, when he saw the grave faces of those present, he was surprised. The King rose and addressed him in dignified words, Myra making her way to her royal mother's side.