ard of the diligence that his
wife had shown in obeying him, and he thanked her heartily for it.

"Sweetheart," said the lady, "I did but my duty. Tis true that if we did
not keep watch upon these rogues of servants you would not have a dog
without the mange or a horse in good condition; but, now that I know
their slothfulness and your wishes, you shall be better served than ever
you were before."

The gentleman, who thought that he had chosen the best groom in the
world, asked her what she thought of him.

"I will own, sir," she replied, "that he does his work as well as
any you could have chosen, but he needs to be urged on, for he is the
sleepiest knave I ever saw."

So the lord and his lady lived together more lovingly than before, and
he lost all the suspicion and jealousy with which he had regarded her,
seeing that she was now as careful of her house hold as she had formerly
been devoted to banquets, dances and assemblies. Whereas, also, she had
formerly been wont to spend four hours in attiring herself, she was now
often content to wear nothing but a dressing-gown over her chemise; and
for this she was praised by her husband and by every one else, for they
did not understand that a stronger devil had entered her and thrust out
a weaker one.

Thus did this young lady, under the guise of a virtuous woman, like
the hypocrite she was, live in such wantonness that reason, conscience,
order and moderation found no place within her. The youth and tender
constitution of the Lord of Avannes could not long endure this, and he
began to grow so pale and lean that even without his mask he might well
have passed unrecognised; yet the mad love that he had for this woman so
blunted his understanding that he imagined he had strength to accomplish
feats that even Hercules had tried in vain. However, being at last
constrained by sickness and advised thereto by his lady, who was not so
fond of him sick as sound, he asked his master's leave to return home,
and this his master gave him with much regret, making him promise to
come back to service when he was well again.

In this wise did the Lord of Avannes go away, and all on foot, for he
had only the length of a street to travel. On arriving at the house
of his good father, the rich man, he there found only his wife, whose
honourable love for him had been in no whit lessened by his journey.
But when she saw him so colourless and thin, she could not refrain from
saying to him--