ible means to please her husband, she reflected that
his inclinations must needs be directed elsewhere, for otherwise he
could not but respond to the deep love that she bore him. Thereupon she
made such skilful inquiries that she discovered the truth, namely, that
he was every night so fully occupied in another quarter that he could
give no thought to his wife or to his conscience.

Having thus obtained certain knowledge of the manner of life he led,
she fell into such deep melancholy, that she would not dress herself
otherwise than in black or attend any place of entertainment. Her
mistress, who perceived this, did all that in her lay to draw her from
such a mood, but could not. And although her husband was made acquainted
with her state, he showed himself more inclined to make light of it than
to relieve it.

You are aware, ladies, that just as extreme joy will give occasion to
tears, so extreme grief finds an outlet in some joy. In this wise it
happened that a great lord who was near akin to the lady's mistress, and
who often visited her, hearing one day of the strange fashion in which
she was treated by her husband, pitied her so deeply that he desired to
try to console her; and on speaking to her, found her so handsome, so
sensible, and so virtuous, that he became far more desirous of winning
her favour than of talking to her about her husband, unless it were to
show her what little cause she had to love him.

The lady, finding that, though forsaken by the man who ought to have
loved her, she was on the other hand loved and sought after by so
handsome a Prince, deemed herself very fortunate in having thus won his
favour. And although she still desired to preserve her honour, she took
great pleasure in talking to him and in reflecting that she was loved
and prized, for these were two things for which, so to speak, she
hungered.

This friendship continued for some time, until it came to the knowledge
of the King, who had so much regard for the lady's husband that he
was unwilling he should be put to any shame or vexation. He therefore
earnestly begged the Prince to forego his inclinations, threatening him
with his displeasure should he continue to press his suit.

The Prince, who set the favour of the King above all the ladies in the
world, promised for his sake to lay aside the enterprise, and to go that
very evening and bid the lady farewell. This he did as soon as he knew
that she had retired to her own apart