rried to Helena.

Fear of the King, however, could not make him a lover. Ridicule helped
to sour him. A base soldier named Parolles told him to his face that
now he had a "kicky-wicky" his business was not to fight but to stay
at home. "Kicky-wicky" was only a silly epithet for a wife, but it made
Bertram feel he could not bear having a wife, and that he must go to the
war in Italy, though the King had forbidden him.

Helena he ordered to take leave of the King and return to Rousillon,
giving her letters for his mother and herself. He then rode off, bidding
her a cold good-bye.

She opened the letter addressed to herself, and read, "When you can get
the ring from my finger you can call me husband, but against that 'when'
I write 'never.'"

Dry-eyed had Helena been when she entered the King's presence and said
farewell, but he was uneasy on her account, and gave her a ring from
his own finger, saying, "If you send this to me, I shall know you are in
trouble, and help you."

She did not show him Bertram's letter to his wife; it would have made
him wish to kill the truant Count; but she went back to Rousillon and
handed her mother-in-law the second letter. It was short and bitter. "I
have run away," it said. "If the world be broad enough, I will be always
far away from her."

"Cheer up," said the noble widow to the deserted wife. "I wash his name
out of my blood, and you alone are my child."

The Dowager Countess, however, was still mother enough to Bertram to lay
the blame of his conduct on Parolles, whom she called "a very tainted
fellow."

Helena did not stay long at Rousillon. She clad herself as a pilgrim,
and, leaving a letter for her mother-in-law, secretly set out for
Florence.

On entering that city she inquired of a woman the way to the Pilgrims'
House of Rest, but the woman begged "the holy pilgrim" to lodge with
her.

Helena found that her hostess was a widow, who had a beautiful daughter
named Diana.

When Diana heard that Helena came from France, she said, "A countryman
of yours, Count Rousillon, has done worthy service for Florence." But
after a time, Diana had something to tell which was not at all worthy of
Helena's husband. Bertram was making love to Diana. He did not hide the
fact that he was married, but Diana heard from Parolles that his wife
was not worth caring for.

The widow was anxious for Diana's sake, and Helena decided to inform her
that she was the Countess Rousillon.

"He k