courtesy." The hidden meaning of which words was
apprehended only by the King, who momently made more account of the girl,
and again and again inly cursed Fortune, that had decreed that she should
be the daughter of such a man. And yet a while he tarried with her, and
comforted her, and so took his leave. Which gracious behaviour of the
King was not a little commended, and accounted a signal honour to the
apothecary and his daughter.

The girl, glad at heart as was ever lady of her lover, mended with
reviving hope, and in a few days recovered her health, and therewith more
than all her wonted beauty. Whereupon the King, having taken counsel with
the Queen how to reward so great a love, got him one day to horse with a
great company of his barons, and hied him to the apothecary's house; and
being come into the garden, he sent for the apothecary and his daughter;
and there, being joined by the Queen with not a few ladies, who received
the girl into their company, they made such cheer as 'twas a wonder to
see. And after a while the King and Queen having called Lisa to them,
quoth the King:--"Honourable damsel, by the great love that you have
borne us we are moved greatly to honour you; and we trust that, for love
of us, the honour that we design for you will be acceptable to you. Now
'tis thus we would honour you: to wit, that, seeing that you are of
marriageable age, we would have you take for husband him that we shall
give you; albeit 'tis none the less our purpose ever to call ourself your
knight, demanding no other tribute of all your love but one sole kiss."
Scarlet from brow to neck, the girl, making the King's pleasure her own,
thus with a low voice replied:--"My lord, very sure am I that, should it
come to be known that I was grown enamoured of you, most folk would hold
me for a fool, deeming, perchance, that I was out of my mind, and witless
alike of my own rank and yours; but God, who alone reads the hearts of us
mortals, knows that even then, when first I did affect you, I wist that
you were the King, and I but the daughter of Bernardo the apothecary, and
that to suffer my passion to soar so high did ill become me; but, as you
know far better than I, none loves of set and discreet purpose, but only
according to the dictates of impulse and fancy; which law my forces,
albeit not seldom opposed, being powerless to withstand, I loved and
still love and shall ever love you. But as no sooner knew I myself
subjugated to