"There," he said, as he bent his knee and saluted her hand, "when I am away this will discourse to thee of love."
"But why place it outside the casement, good my lord? I cannot learn to play upon it there."
"Sweet Princess, thou couldst never play upon it, nor could I. The Wind alone can draw music from its heart. When he sweeps the strings the melody is as the very breath of love, so tender and yet so wailing is the strain."
"The Wind!" exclaimed the Princess. "Hast ever seen the Wind?"
"Ay, and romped with him and flown with him over sea and earth."
"Ah! now thou art pleased to be merry, as thou wert
yesterday when I saw thee talking to the King, ere we had met. Thy countenance was full of mirth and sunlight then. Tell me, why art thou changed? Wherefore art thou sad?"
"Dear one, I am not sad when I have thy companionship. It is only the thought of losing thee that shadows my face."
So they passed out of the chamber into the garden.
Thus the time wore away. Summer began to wane. The nights grew longer and the days more brief.