art of his wife._ (1)

In the county of Alletz (2) there lived a man named Bornet, who being
married to an upright and virtuous wife, had great regard for her honour
and reputation, as I believe is the case with all the husbands here
present in respect to their own wives. But although he desired that she
should be true to him, he was not willing that the same law should apply
to both, for he fell in love with his maid-servant, from whom he had
nothing to gain save the pleasure afforded by a diversity of viands.

1 For a list of tales similar to this one, see _post_,
Appendix A.

2 Alletz, now Alais, a town of Lower Languedoc (department
of the Gard), lies on the Gardon, at the foot of the
Cevennes mountains. It was formerly a county, the title
having been held by Charles, Duke of Angouleme, natural son
of Charles IX.--M.

Now he had a neighbour of the same condition as his own, named Sandras,
a tabourer (3) and tailor by trade, and there was such friendship
between them that, excepting Bornet's wife, they had all things in
common. It thus happened that Bornet told his friend of the enterprise
he had in hand against the maid-servant; and Sandras not only
approved of it, but gave all the assistance he could to further its
accomplishment, hoping that he himself might share in the spoil.

3 Tabourers are still to be found in some towns of Lower
Languedoc and in most of those of Provence, where they
perambulate the streets playing their instruments. They are
in great request at all the country weddings and other
festive gatherings, as their instruments supply the
necessary accompaniment to the ancient Provencal dance, the
_farandole_.--Ed.

The maid-servant, however, was loth to consent, and finding herself hard
pressed, she went to her mistress, told her of the matter, and begged
leave to go home to her kinsfolk, since she could no longer endure to
live in such torment. Her mistress, who had great love for her husband
and had often suspected him, was well pleased to have him thus at a
disadvantage, and to be able to show that she had doubted him justly.
Accordingly, she said to the servant--

"Remain, my girl, but lead my husband on by degrees, and at last make an
appointment to lie with him in my closet. Do not fail to tell me on what
night he is to come, and see that no one knows anything about it."

The maid-servant did all that her mistres