will make her cold and wan and pale and stiff, without
speech and without breath; and yet she will be quite alive and
sound, and will feel neither good nor ill, nor will she suffer
any harm during a day and a whole night in the tomb and in the
bier.

When Fenice had heard it, thus has she spoken and replied:
"Nurse, I put myself in your care, I give you free leave to do
what you will with me. I am at your disposal; think for me, and
bid the folk here that there be none who does not go away. I am
ill and they disturb me." The nurse tells them courteously: "My
lords, my lady is unwell and wishes you all to go away, for you
speak too much and make too much noise, and noise is bad for her.
She will have neither rest nor case as long as you are in this
room. Never heretofore that I remember had she illness of which I
heard her complain so much, so very great and grievous is her
sickness. Depart, and it vex you not." They speedily go, one and
all, as soon as Thessala had commanded it. And Cliges has quickly
sent for John to his lodging, and has said to him privily: "John,
knowest thou what I will say? Thou art my serf, I am thy lord,
and I Can give thee or sell thee and take thy body and thy goods
as a thing that is my own. But if I could trust thee concerning
an affair of mine that I am thinking of, thou wouldst for
evermore be free, and likewise the heirs which shall be born of
thee." John, who much desires freedom, forthwith replies: "Sir,"
says he, "there is no thing that I would not do wholly at your
will, provided that thereby I might see myself free and my wife
and children free. Tell me your will; never will there be
anything so grievous that it will be toil or punishment to me,
nor will it be any burden to me. And were it not so, yet it will
behove me to do it even against my will, and set aside all my own
business." "True, John, but it is such a thing that my mouth dare
not speak it, unless thou warrant me and swear to me, and unless
thou altogether assure me that thou wilt faithfully aid me and
will never betray me." "Willingly, Sir," quoth John, "never be
doubtful of that. For this I swear you and warrant you that as
long as I shall be a living man I will never say aught that I
think will grieve or vex you." "Ah, John! not even on pain of
death is there a man to whom I should dare to say that concerning
which I wish to seek counsel of thee; rather would I let my eyes
be plucked out. Rather would I that thou sho