But this did not prove easy , for the magic stone would only serve for one person at a time , and in order to save Rosalie the Prince of the Golden Isle would have to expose himself to the fury of his enemy . But Rosalie would not hear of this . ` No , Prince , ' she said ; ` since you are here this island no longer feels a prison . Besides , you are under the protection of a Fairy , who always visits your father 's court at this season . Go instantly and seek her , and when she is found implore the gift of another stone with similar powers . Once you have that , there will be no further difficulty in the way of escape . ' The Prince of the Air returned a few days later from his mother 's palace , but the Invisible Prince had already set out . He had , however , entirely forgotten the road by which he had come , and lost himself for so long in the forest , that when at last he reached home the Fairy had already left , and , in spite of all his grief , there was nothing for it but to wait till the Fairy 's next visit , and allow Rosalie to suffer three months longer . This thought drove him to despair , and he had almost made up his mind to return to the place of her captivity , when one day , as he was strolling along an alley in the woods , he saw a huge oak open its trunk , and out of it step two Princes in earnest conversation . As our hero had the magic stone in his mouth they imagined themselves alone , and did not lower their voices . ` What ! ' said one , ` are you always going to allow yourself to be tormented by a passion which can never end happily , and in your whole kingdom can you find nothing else to satisfy you ? ' ` What is the use , ' replied the other , ` of being Prince of the Gnomes , and having a mother who is queen over all the four elements , if I can not win the love of the Princess Argentine ? From the moment that I first saw her , sitting in the forest surrounded by flowers , I have never ceased to think of her night and day , and , although I love her , I am quite convinced that she will never care for me . You know that I have in my palace the cabinets of the years . In the first , great mirrors reflect the past ; in the second , we contemplate the present ; in the third , the future can be read . It was here that I fled after I had gazed on the Princess Argentine , but instead of love I only saw scorn and contempt . Think how great must be my devotion , when , in spite of my fate , I still love on ! ' Now the Prince of the Golden Isle was enchanted with this conversation , for the Princess Argentine was his sister , and he hoped , by means of her influence over the Prince of the Gnomes , to obtain from his brother the release of Rosalie . So he joyfully returned to his father 's palace , where he found his friend the Fairy , who at once presented him with a magic pebble like his own .
As may be imagined , he lost no time in setting out to deliver Rosalie , and travelled so fast that he soon arrived at the forest , XXXXX the midst of which she lay a captive .
As Besides after by in of on to under with