nd also. You ought to be
burned to death! Nevertheless I pardon you, and may God pardon you!
You have the plague, and have given it to my friend, who died in the
priest's arms, and I shall soon follow him." With that he left, and died
an hour later in his own house.

The third gentleman, who had run the same risks as his companions, who
were both dead, did not feel very safe. Nevertheless, he took courage,
and cast aside all fear, and bethought him that he had often been in
perils and dangerous battles before, and went to the father and mother
of the girl who had killed his two companions, and told them that their
daughter was ill, and that they must take care of her. That being done,
he so conducted himself that he escaped the danger of which his two
friends had died.

Now you must know that when this slayer of men was brought back to her
father's house, whilst they were making a bed ready in which she could
repose and sweat, she sent secretly for the son of a shoe-maker, a
neighbour, and had him brought to her father's stable, where she made
him work as she had done the others, but he did not live four hours
after.

She was put to bed, and they made her sweat greatly. And soon there
appeared upon her body four buboes, of which she was afterwards cured.
And I believe that you will find her now amongst the prostitutes at
Avignon, Vienne, Valence, or some other place in Dauphine.

And the doctors said that she had escaped death because she had tasted
the joys of this life; which is a notable and true example to many young
girls to never refuse a good thing when it comes in their way.

*****

STORY THE FIFTY-SIXTH -- THE WOMAN, THE PRIEST, THE SERVANT, AND THE
WOLF.

By Monseigneur De Villiers.

_Of a gentleman who caught, in a trap that he laid, his wife, the
priest, her maid, and a wolf; and burned them all alive, because his
wife committed adultery with the priest._

In a town in this kingdom, in the duchy of Auvergne, there formerly
lived a gentleman, who, to his misfortune, had a very pretty young wife.

This damsel was acquainted with a priest, a neighbour, who lived half a
league off, and they were so neighbourly together that the good priest
took the gentleman's place whenever he was absent.

And this damsel had a waiting-maid who was acquainted with all their
doings, and often carried messages to the priest, and advised him of the
place and hour when he could safely come to her mistress.