A fair and pleasing sight was the Princess of the Outer Isles as she
stood on the terrace in the clear sunshine of the summer morning,
looking over the King's gardens. With her delicate little nose she
sniffed the fragrance of the flowers. Her blue eyes roamed over the
rose bushes, and the breeze ruffled the golden curls about her temples.
Presently a sound behind her caused her to turn, and she perceived a
godlike man hurrying across the terrace pulling up a sock. And at the
sight of him the Princess's heart sang within her like the birds down
in the garden.
'Hope I haven't kept you waiting,' said Merolchazzar, apologetically.
He, too, was conscious of a strange, wild exhilaration. Truly was this
maiden, as his Chamberlain had said, noticeably easy on the eyes. Her
beauty was as water in the desert, as fire on a frosty night, as
diamonds, rubies, pearls, sapphires, and amethysts.
'Oh, no!' said the princess, 'I've been enjoying myself. How passing
beautiful are thy gardens, O King!'
'My gardens may be passing beautiful,' said Merolchazzar, earnestly,
'but they aren't half so passing beautiful as thy eyes. I have dreamed
of thee by night and by day, and I will tell the world I was nowhere
near it! My sluggish fancy came not within a hundred and fifty-seven
miles of the reality. Now let the sun dim his face and the moon hide
herself abashed. Now let the flowers bend their heads and the gazelle
of the mountains confess itself a cripple. Princess, your slave!'
And King Merolchazzar, with that easy grace so characteristic of
Royalty, took her hand in his and kissed it.
As he did so, he gave a start of surprise.
'By Hec!' he exclaimed. 'What hast thou been doing to thyself? Thy hand
is all over little rough places inside. Has some malignant wizard laid
a spell upon thee, or what is it?'
The Princess blushed.
'If I make that clear to thee,' she said, 'I shall also make clear why
it was that I sent thee no message all this long while. My time was so
occupied, verily I did not seem to have a moment. The fact is, these
sorenesses are due to a strange, new religion to which I and my
subjects have but recently become converted. And O that I might make
thee also of the true faith! 'Tis a wondrous tale, my lord. Some two
moons back there was brought to my Court by wandering pirates a captive
of an uncouth race who dwell in the north. And this man has taught
us----'
King Merolchazzar uttered a loud cry.
'By Tom, the son of Morris! Can this truly be so? What is thy
handicap?'
The Princess stared at him, wide-eyed.
'Truly this is a miracle! Art thou also a worshipper of the great
Gowf?'
'Am I!' cried the King. 'Am I!' He broke off. 'Listen!'
From the minstrels' room high up in the palace there came the sound of
singing. The minstrels were practising a new paean of praise--words by
the Grand Vizier, music by the High Priest of Hec--which they were to
