ptameron_ believe
the latter to have been the original "Dagoucin" who is
supposed to tell several of the tales.--Ed.

The Abbot, who came of an ancient line, lodged them honourably, and
when taking them to their apartments inquired of them concerning their
adventures. When he had heard the truth, he told them that others had
fared as badly as they, for in one of his rooms he had two ladies who
had escaped a like danger, or perchance a greater, inasmuch as they had
had to do with beasts, and not with men. (5) Half a league on this side
of Peyrechitte (6) the poor ladies had met with a bear coming down
from the mountain, before whom they had fled with such speed that their
horses fell dead under them at the abbey gates. Further, two of their
women who arrived a long time afterwards had made report that the bear
had killed all the serving-men.

5 In two MS. copies of the _Heptameron_ in the Bibliotheque
Nationale, Paris, numbered respectively 1520 and 1524, after
the words "not with men" there follows "in men there is some
mercy, but in animals none."--L.

6 Peyrechitte is evidently intended for Pierrefitte, a
village on the left bank of the Gave, between Argelez and
Cauterets.--Ed.

Then the two ladies and the three gentlemen entered the room where these
unhappy travellers were, and found them weeping. They recognised them
to be Nomerfide and Ennasuite, whereupon they all embraced and recounted
what had befallen them. At the exhortations of the good Abbot they began
to take comfort in having found one another again, and in the morning
they heard mass with much devotion, praising God for the perils from
which they had escaped.

While they were all at mass there came into the church (7) a man clad
only in a shirt, fleeing as though he were pursued, and crying out for
aid. Forthwith Hircan and the other gentlemen went to meet him to see
what the affair might mean, and perceived two men behind him with drawn
swords.

(7) This church is still in existence. It is mainly in the
Romanesque style and almost destitute of ornamentation.
There are, however, some antique paintings of St. Savin's
miracles; and the saint's tomb, which is still preserved, is
considered to be some twelve hundred years old. The village
is gathered about the church, and forms a wide street lined
with houses of the fifteenth century, which Margaret and her
friends