[001]
As the young ladies and the three young men finished their story-telling
the sun was westering and the heat of the day in great
measure abated.
[002]
Which their queen observing, debonairly thus she
spoke: "Now, dear gossips, my day of sovereignty draws to a close,
and nought remains for me to do but to give you a new queen, by
whom on the morrow our common life may be ordered as she may
deem best in a course of seemly pleasure; and though there seems to
be still some interval between day and night, yet, as whoso does not
in some degree anticipate the course of time, cannot well provide for
the future; and in order that what the new queen shall decide to be
meet for the morrow may be made ready beforehand, I decree that
from this time forth the days begin at this hour.
[003]
And so in reverent
submission to Him, in whom is the life of all beings, for our comfort
and solace we commit the governance of our realm for the morrow
into the hands of Queen Filomena, most discreet of damsels."[004]So saying she arose, took the laurel wreath from her brow, and with a
gesture of reverence set it on the brow of Filomena, whom she then,
and after her all the other ladies and the young men, saluted as
queen, doing her due and graceful homage.
