use as the
gentleman himself. This friar, seeing that the gentleman's wife was as
beautiful and prudent as it was possible to be, fell so deeply in love
with her that he lost all appetite for both food and drink, and all
natural reason as well. One day, thinking to work his end, he went all
alone to the house, and not finding the gentleman within, asked the lady
whither he was gone. She replied that he was gone to an estate where he
proposed remaining during two or three days, but that if the friar had
business with him, she would despatch a man expressly to him. The friar
said no to this, and began to walk to and fro in the house like one with
a weighty matter in his mind.

1 Maximilian I., grandfather of Charles V. and Ferdinand
I., and Emperor of Germany from 1494 to 1519.--Ed.

When he had left the room, the lady said to one of her women (and there
were but two) "Go after the good father and find out what he wants, for
I judge by his countenance that he is displeased."

The serving-woman went to the courtyard and asked the friar whether he
desired aught, whereat he answered that he did, and, drawing her into a
corner, he took a dagger which he carried in his sleeve, and thrust
it into her throat. Just after he had done this, there came into the
courtyard a mounted servant who had been gone to receive the rent of a
farm. As soon as he had dismounted he saluted the friar, who embraced
him, and while doing so thrust the dagger into the back part of his
neck. And thereupon he closed the castle gate.

The lady, finding that her serving-woman did not return, was astonished
that she should remain so long with the friar, and said to the other--

"Go and see why your fellow-servant does not come back."

The woman went, and as soon as the good father saw her, he drew her
aside into a corner and did to her as he had done to her companion.
Then, finding himself alone in the house, he came to the lady, and told
her that he had long been in love with her, and that the hour was now
come when she must yield him obedience.

The lady, who had never suspected aught of this, replied--

"I am sure, father, that were I so evilly inclined, you would be the
first to cast a stone at me."

"Come out into the courtyard," returned the monk, "and you will see what
I have done."

When she beheld the two women and the man lying dead, she was so
terrified that she stood like a statue, without uttering a word. The
villain, wh