he said to her, being now as full of indignation as once he
had been of love, "much good may this do you! (3) The revelation of your
wickedness has to-day cured me, and freed me from the continual anguish
that was caused by the virtue I believed to be in you." (4)

3 The French words here are "prou face," which in Margaret's
time were very generally used in lieu of "Amen" or "So be
it."--M.

4 In _Joconde_ La Fontaine gives the end of the adventure as
follows:--

"Sans rencontrer personne et sans etre entendu
Il monte dans sa chambre et voit pres de la dame
Un lourdaud de valet sur son sein etendu.
Tous deux dormaient. Dans cet abord Joconde
Voulut les envoyer dormir en l'autre monde,
Mais cependant il n'en fit rien
Et mon avis est qu'il fit bien."

Both in La Fontaine's _Conte_ and in Ariosto's _Rolando_ the
lady is the Queen, and the favoured lover the King's dwarf.
--Ed.

And with this farewell he went back again more quickly than he had come.

The unhappy woman made him no other reply than to put her hand to her
face; for being unable to hide her shame, she covered her eyes that she
might not see him who in spite of her deceit now perceived it only too
clearly.

"And so, ladies, if you are not minded to love perfectly, do not, I
pray you, seek to deceive and annoy an honest man for vanity's sake; for
hypocrites are rewarded as they deserve, and God favours those who love
with frankness."

"Truly," said Oisille, "you have kept us a proper tale for the end of
the day. But that we have all sworn to speak the truth, I could not
believe that a woman of that lady's condition could be so wicked both
in soul and in body, and leave so gallant a gentleman for so vile a
muleteer."

"Ah, madam," said Hircan, "if you knew what a difference there is
between a gentleman who has worn armour and been at the wars all his
life, and a well-fed knave that has never stirred from home, you would
excuse the poor widow."

"I do not believe," said Oisille, "whatever you may say, that you could
admit any possible excuse for her."

"I have heard," said Simontault, "that there are women who like to
have apostles to preach of their virtue and chastity, and treat them as
kindly and familiarly as possible, saying that but for the restraints of
honour and conscience they would grant them their desire. And so these
poor fools, when speaking in company of thei