while the summer lasted the Queen was too happywith her baby to give way to any real murmuring, and once or twice whenshe might perhaps have done so, there was wafted to her by the breezethe sound of a gentle "Beware!" and she knew that the summer fairy wasnear.
So for the first winter of the baby's life she was on her guard, andnothing went wrong, except now and then when the King reproached hiswife with overcare of the child when the weather was at all severe.
"Do you wish to kill her?" the Queen would reply, angrily.
"I wish to make her brave and hardy, like all the daughters of ourrace," replied the King.
But not wishing to distress his wife, he said no more, reflecting thatit would be time enough when the little girl could walk and run toaccustom her to the keen and bracing air of the northern winter.
But in some strange, mysterious way, the princess, baby though she was,seemed to understand what her father felt about her. It was noticedthat before she could speak at all, she would dance in her nurse's armsand stretch out her little hands with glee at the sight of thesnowflakes falling steadily. And once or twice when a draught of thefrosty air blew upon her she laughed with delight, instead of shrinkingor shivering.
But so well were the Queen's feelings understood that no one ventured totell her of these clear signs that little Rose felt herself at home inthe land of the snow.
CHAPTER EIGHT.
THE SUMMER PRINCESS--CONTINUED.
The winter passed and the summer came again--the second summer of thebaby's life. She had grown like the flowers, and was as happy as thebutterflies. Never was a sweeter or a merrier child. The Queenidolised her, and the King loved her quite as dearly, though in a wiserway. And that summer passed very happily.
Unfortunately, however, the warm fine days came to an end unusuallyearly that year. Many of the birds took flight for the south soonerthan their wont, and the flowers drooped and withered as if afraid ofwhat was coming.
The Queen noticed these signs with a sinking heart. Standing one chillymorning at the palace windows, she watched the grey autumn sky andsighed deeply.
"Alas, alas!" she said. "All the beauty and brightness are goingagain."
She did not know that the King had entered the room, and was standingbehind her.
"Nay," he said, cheerfully. "You have no reason to feel so sad. If youhave no other flower you have our little Rose, blooming as brightly inthe winter as in the warmth."
He meant it well, but it would have been wiser if he had said nothing.The Queen turned towards him impatiently.
"It is not so," she said angrily.
"Rose is like me. She loves the summer and the sunshine! I do notbelieve she would live through your wretched northern winters but for myincessant care and constant watchfulness. And the anxiety is too muchfor me; it will wear me to death before she is grown up. Indeed thereare times when I almost regret that she ever was born. The life in thiscountry is but half a life. Would that I had known it before I evercame hither."
It was rarely, discontented and complaining though she was, that theQueen had so yielded to her temper. The King was deeply hurt anddisappointed, and he left the room without speaking. He was generallyso kind and patient that this startled her, and brought her to hersenses.
"How wrong of me to grieve him so by my wild words," she thought,penitently. "And--" A sudden horror came over her. What had she beensaying? What had she done? And the fairy's warning returned to hermemory: "If you forget your resolution, the slightest touch of snow willput the baby into my stern brother's power, and you will find yourselfterribly punished."
The poor Queen shivered. Already to her excited fancy, as she glancedat the sky, it seemed that the lurid grey which betokened snow wascoming over it.
"Oh, sweet Summer Spirit!" she cried; "forgive me and plead for me."But a melancholy wail from the cold wind blowing through the trees inthe grounds of the palace was the only reply; the summer fairy was faraway.
The sky cleared again later that day, and for some short time the colddid not increase. But it would be difficult to describe what the Queenwent through. It was useless to hope that the winter would pass withoutsnow; for, so far north, such a thing had never been known. Still, nodoubt, its coming appeared to be delayed, and the weather prophets feltsomewhat at fault. The Queen began to breathe rather more freely again,in the hope that possibly her appeal to the Summer Spirit had, afterall, been heard. Every one had noticed her pale and anxious looks;every one had noticed also how very gentle and uncomplaining she hadbecome. She was so eager to make all the amends she could, that oneday, when the King remarked that he thought it very wrong for thePrincess to be so guarded from the open air as she had been lately, theQueen, though with fear and trembling, gave orders that the baby shouldbe taken out.
"I will accompany her myself," she said to the attendants; so the littlePrincess was wrapped up in her costly furs and placed in her tinychariot drawn by goats, the Queen walking beside her.
The little girl laughed with delight, and chattered in her baby wayabout everything she saw. She seemed like a little prisoner suddenlyset at liberty; for the last few weeks had been spent by the poor littlething in rooms specially prepared, where no breath of the outer aircould find its way in.
"For who knows," thought the Queen, "how some tiny flake of snow mightbe wafted down the chimney, or through the slightest chink of thewindow."
To-day, in spite of her anxiety, the baby's happy face made her mother'sheart feel lighter.
"Surely," she said to herself, "it must be a sign that I am forgiven,and that all will yet be well."
And to please her little daughter she took her farther than she hadintended, even entering a little way into a pine wood skirting thepalace grounds at one side, a favourite resort of hers in the summer.
The Princess's nurse picked up some fir-cones and gave them to thelittle girl, who threw them about in glee and called out for more. Theywere all so busy playing with her that they did not notice how, abovethe heads of the tall fir-trees, the sky was growing dark and overcast,till suddenly a strange, chill blast made the Queen gather her mantleround her and gaze up in alarm.
"We must hasten home," she said; "it is growing so cold."
"Yes, indeed," said one of the ladies; "it almost looks like--" But theQueen interrupted her; she could not bear even the mention of the fatalword.
"Wrap up the Princess!" she exclaimed. "Cover her over, face and all!Never mind if she cries! My darling, we shall be home directly. Thecold wind would hurt you," added she to the little girl.
Then they hurried back to the palace as quickly as the goats could bepersuaded to go, even the Queen herself running fast to keep up with thelittle carriage.
They were within a short distance of the palace before any snow fell,though it was clear to be seen that it was not far off; and the Queenwas beginning to breathe again more freely, when suddenly Princess Rose,who had behaved beautifully till now, with a cry of baby mischief,pushed away the shawl that was over her face, shouting with glee. Atthat very moment the first fluttering snowflakes began to fall. Thelittle Princess opened wide her eyes as she caught sight of them, andsmiled as if in greeting; and alas! before the terrified Queen had timeto replace the covering the child had thrown off, one solitary flakealighted on her cheek, melting there into a tiny drop which looked likea tear, though still the little Princess smiled.
The Queen seized the child in her arms, and, though her heart had almostceased beating with terror, rushed up the long flights of steps, allthrough the great halls and corridors like a mad creature, nor stoppedeven to draw breath till she had reached the Princess's apartments, andhad her safe in the rooms specially prepared for her during the winter.
But was she safe? Was it not already too late? With trembling dreadthe Queen drew away the furs and shawls wrapped round the baby, almostexpecting to find her changed in some strange way, perhaps even dead;and it was with thankfulness that she saw that little Rose was stillher
self--sweet and smiling in her sleep. For she was fast asleep.
"The darling, the precious angel," thought the poor mother as she laidher in her little cot, just as the ladies, and nurses, and all theattendants came trooping into the room. "She is only asleep," said theQueen, in a whisper.
"Nothing has happened to her--she is sleeping sweetly."
The ladies stared--the Queen's behaviour had been so strange they couldnot understand her.
"It is a pity to be so anxious about the child," they said to eachother. "It will bring no blessing," for they thought it all came fromthe Queen's foolish terror lest the little Princess should catch cold,and they shook their heads.
But the Queen seemed full of thankfulness, very gentle, and subdued.Many times that afternoon she came back to see if