This he did , and she went back to Percinet , who was waiting for her , and they set out together for the palace . You may imagine that they did not go the shortest way , but the Princess did not find it too long , and before they parted she had promised that if the Queen was still cruel to her , and tried again to play her any spiteful trick , she would leave her and come to Percinet for ever . When the Queen saw her returning she fell upon the Fairy , whom she had kept with her , and pulled her hair , and scratched her face , and would really have killed her if a Fairy could be killed . And when the Princess presented the letter and the box she threw them both upon the fire without opening them , and looked very much as if she would like to throw the Princess after them . However , what she really did do was to have a great hole as deep as a well dug in her garden , and the top of it covered with a flat stone . Then she went and walked near it , and said to Graciosa and all her ladies who were with her : ' I am told that a great treasure lies under that stone ; let us see if we can lift it . ' So they all began to push and pull at it , and Graciosa among the others , which was just what the Queen wanted ; for as soon as the stone was lifted high enough , she gave the Princess a push which sent her down to the bottom of the well , and then the stone was let fall again , and there she was a prisoner . Graciosa felt that now indeed she was hopelessly lost , surely not even Percinet could find her in the heart of the earth . ` This is like being buried alive , ' she said with a shudder . ` Oh , Percinet ! if you only knew how I am suffering for my want of trust in you ! But how could I be sure that you would not be like other men and tire of me from the moment you were sure I loved you ? ' As she spoke she suddenly saw a little door open , and the sunshine blazed into the dismal well . Graciosa did not hesitate an instant , but passed through into a charming garden . Flowers and fruit grew on every side , fountains plashed , and birds sang in the branches overhead , and when she reached a great avenue of trees and looked up to see where it would lead her , she found herself close to the palace of crystal . Yes ! there was no mistaking it , and the Queen and Percinet were coming to meet her . ` Ah , Princess ! ' said the Queen , ` do n't keep this poor Percinet in suspense any longer . You little guess the anxiety he has suffered while you were in the power of that miserable Queen . '
The Princess kissed her gratefully , and promised to do XXXXX she wished in everything , and holding out her hand to Percinet , with a smile , she said : ` Do you remember telling me that I should not see your palace again until I had been buried ?
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