."

"Still," said Nomcrfide, "I am sure that the Prince's wife was very glad
to find that her husband was learning to know women."

"I assure you it was not so," said Ennasuite. "She was very sorry on
account of the love that she bore the lady."

"I would as soon," said Saffredent, "have the lady who laughed when her
husband kissed her maid."

"In sooth," said Ennasuite, "you shall tell us the story. I give place
to you."

"Although the story is very short," said Saffredent, "I will still
relate it, for I would rather make you laugh than speak myself at
length."

[Illustration: 036.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration: 037a.jpg The Lady watching the Shadow Faces Kissing]

[The Lady watching the Shadow Faces Kissing]

[Illustration: 037.jpg Page Image]

_TALE LIV_.

_Thogas's wife, believing that her husband loved none but
herself, was pleased that her serving-woman should amuse
him, and laughed when in her presence he kissed the girl
before her eyes, and with her knowledge_.

Between the Pyrenees Mountains and the Alps, there dwelt a gentleman
named Thogas, (1) who had a wife and children, with a very beautiful
house, and so much wealth and pleasure at his hand, that there was
reason he should live in contentment, had it not been that he was
subject to great pain beneath the roots of the hair, in such wise that
the doctors advised him to sleep no longer with his wife. She, whose
chief thought was for her husband's life and health, readily consented,
and caused her bed to be set in another corner of the room directly
opposite her husband's, so that they could neither of them put out their
heads without seeing each other.

1 We are unable to trace any family named Thogas, which is
probably a fictitious appellation. Read backwards with the
letter h omitted it forms Sagot, whilst if the syllables be
transposed it suggests Guasto, a well-known Basque or
Navarrese name.--Ed.

This lady had two serving-women, and often when the lord and his lady
were in bed, they would each take some diverting book to read, whilst
the serving-women held candles, the younger, that is, for the gentleman,
and the other for his wife.

The gentleman, finding that the maid was younger and handsomer than her
mistress, took such great pleasure in observing her that he would break
off his reading in order to converse with her. His wife could hear this
very plainly, but believing that h