Seite 436 von 626

Then the princess thought to betray her as before, and agreed to

what she asked: but when the prince went to his chamber he asked

the chamberlain why the wind had whistled so in the night. And

the chamberlain told him all--how he had given him a sleeping

draught, and how a poor maiden had come and spoken to him in his

chamber, and was to come again that night. Then the prince took

care to throw away the sleeping draught; and when Lily came and

began again to tell him what woes had befallen her, and how

faithful and true to him she had been, he knew his beloved wife's

voice, and sprang up, and said, 'You have awakened me as from a

dream, for the strange princess had thrown a spell around me, so

that I had altogether forgotten you; but Heaven hath sent you to

me in a lucky hour.'