though had I gone so far as to swear eternal
love with you, I know that my heart could not have lived through this
meeting. Even now I am so confounded to find myself deceived, that I
am sure my life will be either short or sad. With these words I bid you
farewell, and for ever."

I will not try to describe to you the grief that Amadour felt on hearing
this speech. It is impossible not only to describe it, but even to
conceive it, except indeed to such as have experienced the like. Seeing
that with this cruel conclusion she was about to leave him, he seized
her by the arm, knowing full well that, if he did not remove her evil
opinion of him, he would lose her for ever. Accordingly he dissembled
his looks as well as he could, and said--

"During my whole life, madam, I have desired to love a woman of virtue,
and having found so few of them, I was minded to put you to proof, and
so discover whether you were as well worthy of esteem as of love. Now I
know for certain that you are; and therefore I give praise to God, who
has inclined my heart to the love of such great perfection. I entreat
you to pardon my mad and foolhardy attempt, seeing that the issue of it
has turned to your honour and to my great satisfaction."

Florida was beginning to learn through him the deceitfulness of men;
and, just as she had formerly found it difficult to believe in evil
where it existed, so did she now find it even more difficult to believe
in virtue where there was none.

"Would to God you spoke the truth," she said to him; "but I am not so
ignorant as not to know by my experience in marriage that the blindness
of strong passion led you to act as you did. Had God given me a loose
rein I am sure that you would not have drawn bridle. Those who go in
quest of virtue are wont to take a different road to yours. But enough;
if I have been too hasty in crediting you with some goodness, it is time
I learned the truth, by which I am now delivered out of your hands."

So saying, Florida left the room. As long as the night lasted she did
nought but weep; for the change that had taken place caused her intense
grief, and her heart had much ado to hold out against the sorrowing of
love. Although, guided by reason, she had resolved to love no more, yet
the heart, which cannot be subdued, would in no wise permit this. Thus
she was unable to love him less than before, and knowing that love had
been the cause of his offence, she made up her mind to satisf