Close to his side pressed Juno, the
lioness, and, so says the record of the old Dutch chronicler, von
Hildegaersberch, "the lions did him no harm; he played with them
as if they had been dogs."
But Ajax, fiercest of the three, took no notice of the lad.
Straight across his comrades he looked to where, scarce a rod
behind the daring lad, came another figure, a light and graceful
form in clinging robes of blue and undergown of cloth of
gold--the Princess Jacqueline herself!
The watchers in the gallery followed the lion's stare, and saw,
with horror, the advancing figure of this fair young girl. A cry
of terror broke from every lip. The Dauphin John turned pale with
fright, and Count William of Holland, calling out, "Down, Ajax!
back, girl, back!" sprang to his feet as if he would have vaulted
over the gallery rail.
But before he could act, Ajax himself had acted. With a bound he
cleared the intervening space and crouched at the feet of the
fair young Princess Jacqueline!
The lions must have been in remarkably good humor on that day,
for, as the records tell us, they did no harm to their visitors.
Ajax slowly rose and looked up into the girl's calm face.
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