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room began to grow very dark. When the Princess saw this she raised her head.

“He is coming,” she said; and immediately there shot out from her, on all sides, a brilliant golden light, in the midst of which she looked even more beautiful than before. Then there floated up outside the window a white cloud, which rested on the sill. The cloud opened, and from it stepped the figure of a young man, gorgeously dressed in silver and green. He was about the size of the Princess, and next to her Jack thought he was the most beautiful little creature he had ever seen. He had long dark curls hanging down, and a sweet pale face, with eyes of a deep blue, just the colour of the sea.

At sight of Princess Pyra he started, and would have dashed right up to the bars, had she not begged him for both their sakes not to come inside the window.

“It is you, my darling,” he said, leaning into the room. “And I believed I should never see you again. Oh, let me only once take you in my arms!”

“Do not think of such a thing,” called the Princess. “It would be fatal to us both.”