took no notice, and on taking leave
and wishing good-night to his host, said;

"Monseigneur you say well; rise early to-morrow morning, and I will do
the same."

When the good squire went down, he found a little mule at the foot of
the staircase of the castle, with no one minding it. He soon guessed
that the page he had met as he came down had gone to seek for a
saddle-cloth for his master.

"Ah, ah" he said to himself, "my host did not get rid of me at this
early hour for nothing. Here is his mule, which only waits till I am
gone to carry his master to some place he does not wish me to know. Ah,
mule!" said he, "if you could speak, you could tell me some news. Let me
beg of you to lead me where your master wishes to be."

With that he made his page hold the stirrup, and mounted the mule,
and laid the reins on the mule's neck, and let it amble on wherever it
liked.

And the little mule led him by streets and alleys here and there, till
at last it stopped before a little wicket, which was in a side street
where its master was accustomed to come, and which was the garden
gate of the house of the very damsel the squire had so loved and had
abandoned in despair.

He dismounted, and tapped gently at the wicket, and a damsel, who was
watching through a hidden lattice, believing it to be the knight, came
down and opened the door, and said;

"Monseigneur you are welcome; mademoiselle is in her chamber, and awaits
you."

She did not recognise him, because it was late, and he had a velvet cap
drawn down over his face. And the good squire replied, "I will go to
her."

The he whispered to his page, "Go quickly and put the mule where we
found it; then go to bed."

"It shall be done, sir," he said.

The woman closed the gate, and led the way to the chamber. Our good
squire, much occupied with the business in hand, walked boldly to the
room where the lady was, and he found her simply dressed in a plain
petticoat, and with a gold chain round her neck.

He saluted her politely, for he was kind, courteous and well-spoken, but
she, who was as much astonished as though horns had sprouted out of her
head, did not for the moment know how to reply, but at last she asked
him what he sought there, why he came at that hour, and who had sent
him?

"Mademoiselle," said he, "you may well imagine that if I had had to rely
on myself alone I should not be here; but, thank God, one who has more
pity for me than you ever had, has don