ht, whereupon she began her
cure and in brief, before the term limited, she brought him back to
health.

The king, feeling himself healed, said, 'Damsel, you have well earned
your husband'; whereto she answered, 'Then, my lord, I have earned
Bertrand de Roussillon, whom I began to love even in the days of my
childhood and have ever since loved over all.' The king deemed it a
grave matter to give him to her; nevertheless, having promised her and
unwilling to fail of his faith, he let call the count to himself and
bespoke him thus: 'Bertrand, you are now of age and accomplished [in
all that behoveth unto man's estate];[200] wherefore it is our
pleasure that you return to govern your county and carry with you a
damsel, whom we have given you to wife.' 'And who is the damsel, my
lord?' asked Bertrand; to which the king answered, 'It is she who hath
with her medicines restored to us our health.'

[Footnote 200: _Fornito_, a notable example of what the illustrious
Lewis Carroll Dodgson, Waywode of Wonderland, calls a "portmanteau-word,"
a species that abounds in mediaeval Italian, for the confusion of
translators.]

Bertrand, who had seen and recognized Gillette, knowing her (albeit
she seemed to him very fair) to be of no such lineage as sorted with
his quality, said all disdainfully, 'My lord, will you then marry me
to a she-leach? Now God forbid I should ever take such an one to
wife!' 'Then,' said the king, 'will you have us fail of our faith, the
which, to have our health again, we pledged to the damsel, who in
guerdon thereof demanded you to husband?' 'My lord,' answered
Bertrand, 'you may, an you will, take from me whatsoever I possess or,
as your liegeman, bestow me upon whoso pleaseth you; but of this I
certify you, that I will never be a consenting party unto such a
marriage.' 'Nay,' rejoined the king, 'but you shall, for that the
damsel is fair and wise and loveth you dear; wherefore we doubt not
but you will have a far happier life with her than with a lady of
higher lineage.' Bertrand held his peace and the king let make great
preparations for the celebration of the marriage.

The appointed day being come, Bertrand, sore against his will, in the
presence of the king, espoused the damsel, who loved him more than
herself. This done, having already determined in himself what he
should do, he sought leave of the king to depart, saying he would fain
return to his county and there consummate the marriage; then, ta