r fellow than he was before,
and his wife being now restored to health, he one day invited all his
relations and friends to dinner, and also the father and mother of his
wife, and he served grand cheer after his own fashion. They drank to
him, and he drank to them, and he was marvellous good company.

But hear what happened to him: in the midst of the dinner he began to
weep, which much astonished all his friends who were at table with
him, and they demanded what was the matter, but he could not reply for
weeping scalding tears. At last he spoke, and said;

"I have good cause to weep."

"By my oath you have not," replied his mother-in-law. "What ails you?
You are rich and powerful, and well housed, and have good friends; and
you must not forget that you have a fair and good wife whom God brought
back to health when she was on the edge of the grave. In my opinion you
ought to be light-hearted and joyful."

"Alas!" said he, "woe is me! My father and mother, who both loved me,
and who amassed and left me so much wealth, are both dead, and by my
fault, for they died of a fever, and if I had well towzled them both
when they were ill, as I did to my wife, they would still be on their
feet."

There was no one at table who, on hearing this, would not have liked to
laugh, nevertheless they restrained themselves as best they could. The
tables were removed, and each went his way, and the young man continued
to live with his wife, and--in order that she might continue in good
health--he failed not to tail her pretty often.

*****

STORY THE TWENTY-FIRST -- THE ABBESS CURED [21]

By Philippe De Laon.

_Of an abbess who was ill for want of--you know what--but would not have
it done, fearing to be reproached by her nuns, but they all agreed to do
the same and most willingly did so._

In Normandy there is a fair nunnery, the Abbess of which was young,
fair, and well-made. It chanced that she fell ill. The good sisters who
were charitable and devout, hastened to visit her, and tried to comfort
her, and do all that lay in their power. And when they found she was
getting no better, they commanded one of the sisters to go to Rouen, and
take her water to a renowned doctor of that place.

So the next day one of the nuns started on this errand, and when she
arrived there she showed the water to the physician, and described at
great length the illness of the Lady Abbess, how she slept, ate, drank,
etc.

The learned do