lost.

While they were seeking to comfort her, a valet came with orders that
she was to repair to her husband instantly. Thereupon, clinging to two
of her women, she began to weep and wail, begging them not to suffer her
to go, for she was sure she would be killed. But the valet assured her
to the contrary, offering to pledge his life that she should receive no
hurt. Seeing that she lacked all means of resistance, she at last threw
herself into the servant's arms, and said to him--

"Since it may not be otherwise, you must e'en carry this hapless body to
its death."

Half fainting in her distress, she was then at once borne by the
valet to his master's apartment. When she reached it, she fell at her
husband's feet, and said to him--

"I beseech you, sir, have pity on me, and I swear to you by the faith I
owe to God that I will tell you the whole truth."

"'Fore God you shall," he replied, like one beside himself, and
forthwith he drove all the servants from the room.

Having always found his wife very devout, he felt sure that she would
not dare to forswear herself on the Holy Cross. He therefore sent for a
very beautiful crucifix that belonged to him, and when they were alone
together, he made her swear upon it that she would return true replies
to his questions. Already, however, she had recovered from her first
dread of death, and taking courage, she resolved that if she was to die
she would make no concealment of the truth, but at the same time would
say nothing that might injure the gentleman she loved. Accordingly,
having heard all the questions that her husband had to put to her, she
replied as follows--

"I have no desire, sir, either to justify myself or to lessen to you the
love that I have borne to the gentleman you suspect; for if I did, you
could not and you should not believe me. Nevertheless, I desire to tell
you the cause of this affection. Know, then, sir, that never did wife
love husband more than I loved you, and that from the time I wedded you
until I reached my present age, no other passion ever found its way into
my heart. You will remember that while I was still a child, my parents
wished to marry me to one richer and more highly born than yourself,
but they could never gain my consent to this from the moment I had once
spoken to you. In spite of all their objections I held fast to you,
and gave as little heed to your poverty as to their remonstrances. You
cannot but know what treatment I