“I will meet you,” and in return we sent up a Geranium to inform them that we were waiting.
Soon after that a clear and beautiful accord was heard, and something luminous floated down through the tunnel, which I could not describe otherwise than as being an oval-shaped radiance of an exquisite rose-coloured light, composed of living sound, and emitting harmonious accords, like an Æolian harp. When it issued from the mouth of the tunnel, I perceived within its sphere the ethereal shape of an Oleander blossom, in the midst of which appeared the childlike and smiling face of a most charming fairy. These were then the spirits of flowers.
Cravatu presented the fairy with a Jessamine blossom as a token of friendship, and invited her to accompany us to the king.
An accord, indicating consent, was the answer, and we returned with the fairy in our midst.
“Bring the prisoner!” exclaimed Adalga, assuming an air of scientific arrogance, when she saw us approaching. This rudeness offended me, and I said:
“This is not a prisoner, princess, but an ambassador coming to us, upon our invitation, and under the flag of truce. It is a fairy of high descent, and the law of justice demands that she be treated respectfully.”
“Prove it!” answered the princess angrily.
“Justice,” I said, “is not a thing to be proved, but to be practised.”
While I spoke, the Oleander blossom gave forth a sweet melody of harmonious sounds, but Adalga looked at the fairy with a wicked glance in her eye, and said:
“A curious specimen, which we must not let escape. It will be quite an ornament to our museum.”