part of the cursed Dangier, (*) and
the lover could not find any honourable excuse to make him leave.

(*) Allegorical personage typifying jealousy, taken from _Le
Romaunt de la Rose_.

As you may imagine, the lover was greatly dissatisfied at having to wait
so long, for he desired the fair quarry, the object of his long chase,
more than he had ever desired anybody in all his life.

For this cause he continued to importune his mistress, till she said to
him.

"I am quite as displeased as you can be that I can give you no better
welcome; but, you know, as long as my husband is in the house he must be
considered."

"Alas!" said he, "cannot you find any method to abridge my hard and
cruel martyrdom?"

She--who as has been said above, was quite as desirous of being with her
lover as he was with her--replied;

"Come to-night, at such and such an hour, and knock at my chamber
door. I will let you in, and will find some method to be freed from my
husband, if Fortune does not upset our plans."

Her lover had never heard anything which pleased him better, and after
many gracious thanks,--which he was no bad hand at making--he left her,
and awaited the hour assigned.

Now you must know that a good hour or more before the appointed time,
our gentle damsel, with her women and her husband, had withdrawn to her
chamber after supper; nor was her imagination idle, but she studied
with all her mind how she could keep her promise to her lover. Now she
thought of one means, now of another, but nothing occurred to her by
which she could get rid of her cursed husband; and all the time the
wished-for hour was fast approaching.

Whilst she was thus buried in thought, Fortune was kind enough to do her
a good turn, and her husband a bad one.

He was looking round the chamber, and by chance he saw at the foot of
the bed his wife's clothes-chest. In order to make her speak, and arouse
her from her reverie, he asked what that chest was used for, and why
they did not take it to the wardrobe, or some other place where it would
be more suitable.

"There is no need, Monseigneur," said Madame; "no one comes here but us.
I left it here on purpose, because there are still some gowns in it, but
if you are not pleased, my dear, my women will soon take it away."

"Not pleased?" said he. "No, I am not; but I like it as much here as
anywhere else, since it pleases you; but it seems to me much too small
to hold your gowns well witho