lay on
a little bed. She, thinking that it was the Friar who had beaten her,
was much astonished to see him there and exceedingly wrathful; however,
her husband being present, she cast down her eyes, and remained dumb.

"As long as I am with her," said the husband to the holy man, "the devil
scarcely torments her. But sprinkle some holy water upon her as soon as
I am gone, and you will soon see how the evil spirit does his work."

The husband left them alone together, and waited at the door to see
how they would behave. When the lady saw no one with her but the good
father, she began to cry out like a woman bereft of reason, calling him
rascal, villain, murderer, betrayer. At this, the good father, thinking
that she was surely possessed by an evil spirit, tried to put his hands
upon her head, in order to utter his prayers upon it; but she scratched
and bit him in such a fashion, that he was obliged to speak at a greater
distance, whence, throwing a great deal of holy water upon her, he
pronounced many excellent prayers.

When the husband saw that the Friar had done his duty, he came into the
room and thanked him for his trouble. At his entrance his wife ceased
her cursings and revilings, and meekly kissed the cross in the fear
she had of him. But the holy man, having seen her in so great a frenzy,
firmly believed that Our Lord had cast out the devil in answer to his
prayer, and he went away, praising God for this wonderful miracle.

The husband, seeing that his wife was well punished for her foolish
fancy, did not tell her of what he had done. He was content to have
subdued her affection by his own prudence, and to have so dealt with her
that she now hated mortally what she had formerly loved, and, loathing
her folly, devoted herself to her husband and household more completely
than she had ever done before.

"In this story, ladies, you see the good sense of a husband and the
frailty of a woman of repute. I think that if you look carefully into
this mirror you will no longer trust to your own strength, but will
learn to have recourse to Him who holds your honour in His hand."

"I am well pleased," said Parlamente, "to find you become a preacher to
the ladies, and I should be even more so if you would make these fine
sermons to all those with whom you speak."

"Whenever you are willing to listen to me," said Hircan, "I promise you
that I will say as much."

"In other words," said Simontault, "when you are not pre