e had dismissed all his attendants he rose to fasten the
door after them; and for a long time he listened to hear whether there
were any sound in the room of the Princess, which was above his own.
When he had made sure that all was quiet, he wished to begin his
pleasant task, and little by little let down the trap-door, which was
so excellently wrought, and so well covered with cloth, that it made not
the least noise. Then he ascended into the room and came to the bedside
of his lady, who was just falling asleep.

Forthwith, having no regard for the duty that he owed his mistress or
for the house to which she belonged, he got into bed with her, without
entreating her permission or making any kind of ceremony. She felt him
in her arms before she knew that he had entered the room; but being
strong, she freed herself from his grasp, and fell to striking, biting,
and scratching him, demanding the while to know who he was, so that
for fear lest she should call out he sought to stop her mouth with the
bedclothes. But this he found it impossible to do, for when she saw
that he was using all his strength to work her shame she did as much
to baffle him. She further called as loudly as she could to her lady of
honour,(7) who slept in her room; and this old and virtuous woman ran to
her mistress in her nightdress.

7 The lady in question was Blanche de Tournon, daughter of
James de Tournon, by Jane de Polignac, and sister of
Cardinal de Tournon, Minister of Francis I. She first
married Raymond d'Agout, Baron of Sault in Provence, who
died in 1503; and secondly James de Chastillon, Chamberlain
to Charles VIII. and Louis XII., killed at the siege of
Ravenna in 1512. Brantome states, moreover, that she
subsequently married Cardinal John du Bellay. (See Appendix
to the'present volume, C.) In this story, Margaret describes
the Princess of Flanders as having lost two husbands, with
the view of disguising the identity of her heroine. Her own
husband (the Duke of Alencon) was still alive; but Madame de
Chastillon had twice become a widow, and the Queen, who was
well aware of this, designedly ascribed to the Princess the
situation of the lady of honour. This story should be
compared with the poem "Quatre Dames et Quatre
Gentilhommes" in the _Marguerites de la Marguerite_.--F.

When the gentleman saw that he was discovered, he was so fearful of
being