and the
husband heard it, and took steps accordingly, as you will hear._

In the present day they are many priests and cures who are good fellows,
and who can as easily commit follies and imprudences as laymen can.

In a pretty village of Picardy, there lived formerly a cure of a
lecherous disposition. Amongst the other pretty girls and women of his
parish, he cast eyes on a young and very pretty damsel of nubile age,
and was bold enough to tell her what he wanted.

Won over by his fair words, and the hundred thousand empty promises he
made, she was almost ready to listen to his requests, which would have
been a great pity, for she was a nice and pretty girl with pleasant
manners, and had but one fault,--which was that she was not the most
quick-witted person in the world.

I do not know why it occurred to her to answer him in that manner, but
one day she told the cure, when he was making hot love to her, that she
was not inclined to do what he required until she was married, for if
by chance, as happened every day, she had a baby, she would always be
dishonoured and reproached by her father, mother, brothers, and all her
family, which she could not bear, nor had she strength to sustain the
grief and worry which such a misfortune would entail.

"Nevertheless, if some day I am married, speak to me again, and I will
do what I can for you, but not otherwise; so give heed to what I say and
believe me once for all."

The cure was not over-pleased at this definite reply, bold and sensible
as it was, but he was so amorous that he would not abandon all hope, and
said to the girl;

"Are you so firmly decided, my dear, not to do anything for me until you
are married?"

"Certainly, I am," she replied.

"And if you are married, and I am the means and the cause, you will
remember it afterwards, and honestly and loyally perform what you have
promised?"

"By my oath, yes," she said, "I promise you."

"Thank you," he said, "make your mind easy, for I promise you faithfully
that if you are not married soon it will not be for want of efforts or
expense on my part, for I am sure that you cannot desire it more than
I do; and in order to prove that I am devoted to you soul and body, you
will see how I will manage this business."

"Very well, monsieur le cure," she said, "we shall see what you will
do."

With that she took leave of him, and the good cure, who was madly in
love with her, was not satisfied till he had seen h