only, to speak in a foreign land. The loss of the Princess had not been entirely unfelt by her relations: they believed she had perished; consequently her letter gave great delight to the Court. The Queen, who was dying to see Laidronette again, lost not a moment in setting out, with her other daughter and her son-in-law. The pagods, who alone knew the way to their kingdom, safely conducted thither the whole royal family; and when Laidronette saw her relations, she was ready to expire with joy. She read the story of Psyche over and over again, to be completely on her guard respecting any questions that might be put to her, and to regulate her answers to them; but the pains she took were all in vain—she made a hundred mistakes. Sometimes the King was with the army; sometimes he was ill, and in no mood to see any one; sometimes he was on a pilgrimage; and at others, hunting or fishing. At last, it seemed as if she was pledged to talk nothing but nonsense, and that the barbarous Magotine had unsettled her wits.
Her mother and sister consulted together on the subject, and came to the conclusion that she was deceiving them, and might probably be deceived herself. They, therefore, with ill-directed zeal, resolved to tell her so, and managed very skilfully to infect her mind with a thousand doubts and fears. After having refused for a long time to acknowledge the justice of their suspicions, she at last confessed that up to that period she had never seen her husband; but that his conversation was so charming, that it was sufficient happiness to listen to it: that he had yet two years to pass in this state of penance, but that at the end of that time, not only should she behold him, but become, herself, beautiful as the orb of day. "Oh, unfortunate creature!" exclaimed the Queen; "how gross is the snare they have laid for thee! Is it possible that thou couldst have listened with such extreme simplicity to such fables? Thy husband is a monster; and how could it be otherwise, for all the pagods, of whom he is the King, are downright monkeys." "I believe, rather," replied Laidronette, "that he is the God of Love himself." "What a delusion!" cried Queen Bellotte. "They told Psyche that she had married a monster, and she discovered that it was Cupid. You are positive that Cupid is your husband, and to a certainty he is a monster! At least, satisfy your
