s gives her no pain or
hurt; she has said to all that as long as the malady whereby her
heart and head feel pain holds her so strongly, she will have no
man save the emperor or his nephew enter her chamber; for she
will not deny herself to them; though if the emperor, her lord,
come not, little will it irk her. She must needs risk great
suffering and great peril for Cliges' sake, but it weighs on her
heart that he comes not; she desires to see naught save him.
Cliges will soon be in her presence and stay there till he shall
have related to her what he has seen and found. He comes before
her and has told her; but he remained there a short time only,
for Fenice, in order that people may think that what pleases her
annoys her, has said aloud: "Away! Away! You tire me greatly, you
weary me much; for I am so oppressed with sickness that never
shall I be raised from it and restored to health." Cliges, whom
this greatly pleases, goes away, making a doleful
countenance--for never before did you see it so doleful.
Outwardly he appears full sad; but his heart is blithe within,
for it looks to have its joy.

The empress, without having any illness, complains and feigns
herself ill; and the emperor, who believes her, ceases not to
make lamentation, and sends to seek leeches for her; but she will
not let that one see her, nor does she let herself be touched.
This grieves the emperor, for she says that never will she have
leech except one, who will know how to give her health quickly,
when it shall be his will. He will make her die or live; into his
keeping she puts herself for health and for life. They think that
she is speaking of God, but a very different meaning has she, for
she means none other than Cliges. He is her God, who can give her
health and who can make her die.

Thus the empress provides that no leech attend her, and she will
not eat or drink, in order the better to deceive the emperor,
until she is both pale and wan all over. And her nurse stays near
her, who with very wondrous craft sought secretly through all the
town, so that no one knew it, until she found a woman sick of a
mortal sickness without cure. In order the better to carry out
the deception, she went often to visit her and promised her that
she would cure her of her ill, and each day she would bring a
glass to see her water, till she saw that medicine would no
longer be able to aid her and that she would die that very day.
She has brought this water