relating to her mistress every flying report that reached the castle. But so gentle was her temper, and so ready her submission, that it was impossible to be seriously of-fended with her, and her light footsteps and joyous laugh were equally welcome in the royal apartments, and in the servants' kitchen. The maids of honor, who were the most frequent victims of her pranks, surnamed her, "Dame Madcap," while her cordial interest in inferiors caused the retainers to dub her with the equally appropriate soubri-quet of " Little Sunbeam." One day, the Princess Eleanora, passing the hall of audi-ence, was surprised by hearing shouts of irrepressible laughter. Suspecting that her protegee was engaged in some frolic, she cautiously opened the door and stood an unobserved spectator. Every piece of furniture capable of being moved, had been torn from its mooring, and placed in some fantastic position. The arras had been stripped from the walls, and hung in grotesque festoons at the farther extremity of the room, above and around a throne, ornamented with every article of embroidered vel-vet and silk brocade, that the royal wardrobe afforded, on which was seated her Madcap majesty, bedecked and be-dizened with all sorts of holiday finery, while every maid and retainer, not on duty, was passing before her, and re-peating the oath of fealty in giggling succession. The fair queen, meanwhile, diversified her state duties by lecturing her new subjects upon the indecorum of such ill-timed levity. The princess, in doubt what notice to take of the affair, prudently withdrew, but not till Eva had caught sight of her retreating figure, whereon, she assured her vassals, that they had all been guilty of high treason, and that, no doubt, the Don Jon, or some other Spanish cavalier would soon have them in close keeping. When Eva again appeared in the presence of the prin-cess, she fell on her knees and begged pardon with an air of mock humility that changed Eleanora's frowns to smiles in spite of herself, though she felt it necessary to remon-strate with her upon the oft-reiterated subject of herundig- 360 HEROINES OF THE CRUSADES.