One morning Clarissa woke to find the sun already high in the heavens; so, running in to Blanchefleur, she bade her too arise, as it was late, and full time that both were in attendance on their Lord.

‘Go on before,’ said Blanchefleur, half-waking and half-dreaming, and I will follow;’ and she came not, but fell asleep again.  So when Clarissa, returning from the spring with her golden bowl, again knocked, and this time got no answer, she hasted to the Admiral, thinking to find Blanchefleur gone on before to him, but she found her not.

‘Why tarries Blanchefleur?’ asked the Admiral, wondering that Clarissa came alone.

‘Sire,’ said Clarissa, ’all through the night, Blanchefleur was reading in her psalter and praying long life for you, and towards the morning she fell asleep and slumbers still.’

‘That,’ said the Admiral, well pleased, ’was a good work, and as reward for it Blanchefleur shall be my bride.’

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.’