atics,
lovers and sots? Perhaps he was all three in one."

"Do you thence conclude," said Pariamente, "that God recks not of the
wise, the chaste and the temperate? Help is not needed by those who can
help themselves. He who said that He had come for the sick and not for
the whole, (4) came by the law of His mercy to succour our infirmities,
thereby annulling the decrees of His rigorous justice; and he that deems
himself wise is a fool in the sight of God. But, to end the sermon, to
whom will Longarine give her vote?"

4 "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but
they that are sick."--_St. Mark_ ii. 17. See also _St.
Luke_ v. 31.--Ed.

"I give it," she said, "to Saffredent."

"Then I hope," said Saffredent, "to prove to you that God does not
favour lovers. For although it has already been said, ladies, that vice
is common to men and women alike, yet will a subtle artifice be more
readily and adroitly devised by a woman than by a man Of this I am now
about to give you an instance."

[Illustration: 088.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration: 089a.jpg The Lord of Grignaulx catching the Pretended Ghost]

[The Lord of Grignaulx catching the Pretended Ghost]

[Illustration: 089.jpg Page Image]

_TALE XXXIX_.

_The Lord of Grignaulx freed his house from a ghost which
had so tormented his wife that for the space of two years
she had dwelt elsewhere_.

A certain Lord of Grignaulx (1) who was gentleman of honour to the Queen
of France, Anne, Duchess of Brittany, on returning to his house whence
he had been absent during more than two years, found his wife at another
estate, near by, and when he inquired the reason of this, she told him
that a ghost was wont to haunt the house, and tormented them so much
that none could dwell there. (2) Monsieur de Grig-naulx, who had no
belief in such absurdities, replied that were it the devil himself he
was not afraid of him, and so brought his wife home again.

At night he caused many candles to be lighted that he might see the
ghost more clearly, and, after watching for a long time without hearing
anything, he fell asleep; but immediately afterwards he was awaked by a
buffet upon the cheek, and heard a voice crying, "Brenigne, Brenigne,"
which had been the name of his grandmother. (3) Then he called to the
serving-woman, who lay near them, (4) to light the candle, for all were
now extinguished, but she durst not rise. And at the same t