However, when the gentleman came to know that he was servant to so great
a King, he went to him and begged him not to take the churlishness of
his servants in bad part, since he was obliged to keep his house thus
closed on account of certain of his wife's kinsfolk who sought to do
him hurt. Bernage then told him the nature of his mission, wherein the
gentleman offered to serve the interests of the King his master, so far
as in him lay; and he forthwith led Bernage into the house, where he
lodged and entertained him honourably.

It was the hour for supper, and the gentleman led him into a handsome
room, hung with beautiful tapestry, where, as soon as the meats were
served, he saw come from behind the hangings the most beautiful woman it
were possible to behold; though her head was shorn and she was dressed
in black garments of the German fashion.

After the gentleman had washed his hands with Bernage, water was borne
to the lady, who also washed hers and then sat down at the end of the
table without speaking to the gentleman, or he to her. The Lord de
Bernage looked very closely at her, and thought her one of the most
beautiful women he had ever seen, except that her face was very pale,
and its expression very sad.

After eating a little, she asked for drink, which was brought to her by
a servant in a most marvellous vessel, for it was a death's head, the
eyeholes of which were closed with silver; and from this she drank two
or three times. When she had supped, the lady washed her hands, made
a reverence to the lord of the house, and retired again behind the
tapestry without speaking to any one. Bernage was exceedingly amazed at
this strange sight, and became very melancholy and thoughtful.

The gentleman, who perceived this, then said to him--

"I perceive that you are astonished at what you have seen at this table;
but for the sake of the excellence that I find in you I will explain
the matter, so that you may not think I could show such cruelty without
reasons of great weight. The lady whom you saw is my wife; I loved her
more than ever man loved woman, insomuch that in order to marry her I
forgot all fear, and brought her hither in defiance of her relations. On
her part, she showed me so many tokens of love that I would have risked
ten thousand lives in bringing her hither, to her delight and mine.
And here we lived for a while in such peace and gladness that I deemed
myself the happiest gentleman in Christendo