its Creator.

And even when the poor body had lain a long time without life, and was
thus unable to retain its hold, the love which the damsel had always
concealed was made manifest in such a fashion that her mother and
the dead man's servants had much ado to separate her from her lover.
However, the girl, who, though living, was in a worse condition than if
she had been dead, was by force removed at last out of the gentleman's
arms. To him they gave honourable burial; and the crowning point of
the ceremony was the weeping and lamentation of the unhappy damsel,
who having concealed her love during his lifetime, made it all the more
manifest after his death, as though she wished to atone for the wrong
that she had done him. And I have heard that although she was given a
husband to comfort her, she has never since had joy in her heart. (1)

1 By an expression made use of by Dagoucin (see _ante_),
Queen Margaret gives us to understand that the incidents
here related occurred three years prior to the writing of
the story. It may be pointed out, however, that there is
considerable analogy between the conclusion of this tale and
the death of Geffroy Rudel de Blaye, one of the earliest
troubadours whose name has been handed down to us. Geffroy,
who lived at the close of the twelfth century, became so
madly enamoured of the charms of the Countess of Tripoli,
after merely hearing an account of her moral and physical
perfections, that, although in failing health, he embarked
for Africa to see her. On reaching the port of Tripoli, he
no longer had sufficient strength to leave the vessel,
whereupon the Countess, touched by his love, visited him on
board, taking his hand and giving him a kindly greeting.
Geffroy could scarcely say a few words of thanks; his
emotion was so acute that he died upon the spot. See J. de
Nostredame's _Vies des plus Celebres et Anciens Poetes
Provencaux_(Lyons, 1575, p. 25); Raynouard's _Choix des
Poesies des Troubadours_ (vol. v. p. 165); and also
Raynouard's _Histoire Litteraire de la France_ (vol. xiv. p.
559).--L.

"What think you of that, gentlemen, you who would not believe what I
said? Is not this example sufficient to make you confess that perfect
love, when concealed and disregarded, may bring folks to the grave?
There is not one among you but knows the kinsfolk on the one and the
o