which will be May Day, come again to me, all clad from head to foot in
rosy red, and you shall be borne up to the topmost story of the tower
where Blanchefleur dwells.'




_Chapter VII_


[Illustration]

At the bidding of his watchman friend Fleur went back to his lodging,
and there in hope and joy abode for two long days; and when the third,
which was May Day, dawned, he arose and clad himself from head to foot
in rosy red and hasted to the tower; and when he came to the guard-room,
he found a great basket on the floor, and heaped up around the basket
were all the fresh-blown flowers of spring that the watchman had caused
to be gathered from the gardens of Babylon, as May-Day offering to
Blanchefleur.

'Sir,' said the watchman, 'here lay you down within the basket and stir
not.'

So when Fleur was laid down flat and still, within the basket, the
watchman put a hat of red upon his head, and, this done, covered him all
over with piles of flowers. This done, he called two strong porters and
said, 'Carry up this basket of flowers as my May-Day offering to the
maiden Blanchefleur, and when you have presented it, tarry not, but come
again to me.'

So the porters, obedient to their officer, took up the basket and began
to ascend the stairs; but ere they were half-way up, they began to halt
and curse, vowing that never in all their days had they carried such
heavy flowers; and when at length the top was reached, they mistook the
chamber, for they knocked at Clarissa's door, shouting, 'Here, open! to
receive the watchman's May-Day offering to the maiden Blanchefleur.'

[Illustration]

And at the sound of Blanchefleur's name Clarissa ran and opened wide the
door; but without telling the porters of their error, she suffered them
to bring their flowery burden in and then depart. When they were gone,
Clarissa came and took from the basket a flower that pleased her,
whereupon Fleur, thinking she was Blanchefleur, sprang out, and so
startled the maiden that she cried in fright: 'Oh