Page:Tales of old Lusitania.djvu/109

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THE PORTRAIT OF THE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS.
95

races, which were held in honour of the occasion, and which he knew the princess would attend. As she was entering the grand stand, surrounded by her maids of honour, he enquired which of those ladies was the princess, and some one pointed out to him the very ugliest lady as his future bride. The prince gave a start of surprise, and was convinced that a cruel trick had been played upon him, and that after all he was married to the ugliest maiden he had ever seen. But, not liking to make a public exposure of his disappointment, he apparently took it with a good grace, went the next day to meet his ugly wife, and took her to the palace appointed for them by the king. But he had resolved never to look at her face again; so at night he always entered his chamber without a light; and in the morning he rose early and left the room before she had awoke. He spent the rest of the day at his farm a few miles away. This, as may be supposed, made the princess very unhappy; still, she never complained to her husband or any one else. One day as she was walking in her garden, full of sad thoughts, she passed near the garden gate, and a poor woman made signs as if asking for alms. But when the princess came close up to her the poor woman addressed her thus: "I know the cause of your unhappiness, but I have a remedy for it if you will follow my advice." The princess said she would, and the poor woman went