he could
assuredly never see her, since it was forbidden him to enter it.

One day, however, the young Prince's mother, (12) being in her son's
room, placed herself at the window where this big book lay, and had
not long been there when one of Rolandine's companions, who was at the
window in the opposite room, greeted her and spoke to her. The lady
asked her how Rolandine did; whereon the other replied that she might
see her if she would, and brought her to the window in her nightcap.
Then, when they had spoken together about her sickness, they withdrew
from the window on either side.

12 Louise of Savoy.

The lady, observing the big book about the Round Table, said to the
servant who had it in his keeping--

"I am surprised that young folk can waste their time in reading such
foolishness."

The servant replied that he marvelled even more that people accounted
sensible and of mature age should have a still greater liking for it
than the young; and he told her, as matter for wonderment, how her
cousin the Bastard would spend four or five hours each day in reading
this fine book. Straightway there came into the lady's mind the
reason why he acted thus, and she charged the servant to hide himself
somewhere, and take account of what the Bastard might do. This the man
did, and found that the Bastard's book was the window to which Rolandine
came to speak with him, and he, moreover, heard many a love-speech which
they had thought to keep wholly secret.

On the morrow he related this to his mistress, who sent for the Bastard,
and after chiding him forbade him to return to that place again; and in
the evening she spoke of the matter to Rolandine, and threatened, if she
persisted in this foolish love, to make all these practices known to the
Queen.

Rolandine, whom nothing could dismay, vowed that in spite of all that
folks might say she had never spoken to him since her mistress had
forbidden her to do so, as might be learned both from her companions and
from her servants and attendants. And as for the window, she declared
that she had never spoken at it to the Bastard. He, however, fearing
that the matter had been discovered, withdrew out of harm's way, and was
a long time without returning to Court, though not without writing to
Rolandine, and this in so cunning a manner that, in spite of the Queen's
vigilance, never a week went by but she twice heard from him.

When he no longer found it possible to employ mo