the countess, seeing
her confusion and hearing her modest demand, gave her five hundred and
so many rare and precious jewels as were worth maybe as much more.
With this the gentlewoman was far more than satisfied and rendered the
countess the best thanks in her power; whereupon the latter, taking
leave of her, returned to the inn, whilst the other, to deprive
Bertrand of all farther occasion of coming or sending to her house,
removed with her daughter into the country to the house of one of her
kinsfolk, and he, being a little after recalled by his vassals and
hearing that the countess had departed the country, returned to his
own house.

The countess, hearing that he had departed Florence and returned to
his county, was mightily rejoiced and abode at Florence till her time
came to be delivered, when she gave birth to two male children, most
like their father, and let rear them with all diligence. Whenas it
seemed to her time, she set out and came, without being known of any,
to Montpellier, where having rested some days and made enquiry of the
count and where he was, she learned that he was to hold a great
entertainment of knights and ladies at Roussillon on All Saints' Day
and betook herself thither, still in her pilgrim's habit that she was
wont to wear. Finding the knights and ladies assembled in the count's
palace and about to sit down to table, she went up, with her children
in her arms and without changing her dress, into the banqueting hall
and making her way between man and man whereas she saw the count, cast
herself at his feet and said, weeping, 'I am thine unhappy wife, who,
to let thee return and abide in thy house, have long gone wandering
miserably about the world. I conjure thee, in the name of God, to
accomplish unto me thy promise upon the condition appointed me by the
two knights I sent thee; for, behold, here in mine arms is not only
one son of thine, but two, and here is thy ring. It is time, then,
that I be received of thee as a wife, according to thy promise.'

The count, hearing this, was all confounded and recognized the ring
and the children also, so like were they to him; but yet he said, 'How
can this have come to pass?' The countess, then, to his exceeding
wonderment and that of all others who were present, orderly recounted
that which had passed and how it had happened; whereupon the count,
feeling that she spoke sooth and seeing her constancy and wit and
moreover two such goodly childre