ed this assurance,
she told him that she was as good as married already, and that as long
as she lived she would never have for husband any other man than the one
she would show him that night if he wished.

"I should much like to see him," replied her brother, "but who is he?"

"You will see in good time," she said.

At the accustomed hour the shepherd came, and climbed to the lady's
chamber, God knows how wet from having crossed the river. The brother
looked at him, and saw it was his neighbour's shepherd, and was in no
small degree astonished; and still more so was the shepherd, who would
have fled when he saw him.

"Stay! Stay!" said the gentleman, "there is nothing to fear."

"Is this," he added turning to his sister, "the man of whom you spoke to
me?"

"Yes, truly, brother," said she.

"Then make a good fire for him to warm himself," said the gentleman,
"for he much needs it. And do you regard him as your husband; and truly
you are not wrong to like him, for he has run great dangers for love of
you. And since the matter has gone so far, and you have the courage to
take him for a husband, never mind me, and cursed be he who does not
hurry on the marriage."

"Amen!" she said. "It shall be to-morrow, if you wish."

"I do wish," he replied; then turning to the shepherd.

"What do you say?"

"Whatever you wish."

"There is nothing else for it then," said the gentleman. "You are, and
shall be, my brother-in-law. Not so long ago our family was not noble;
so I may well have a shepherd for a brother-in-law."

To cut the story short, the gentleman consented to the marriage of his
sister to the shepherd; and it was performed, and they both continued
to live in his house, though it was much talked about throughout the
country.

And when he was in some place where the affair was being talked
about, and surprise was expressed that he had not killed or beaten the
shepherd, the gentleman replied that he would never harm one whom his
sister loved; and that he would rather have for a brother-in-law, a
shepherd his sister liked, than some great man she did not like.

All this was said as a joke, and sportingly; for he was, and has always
been, a courteous and pleasant gentleman, and liked not to hear
his sister's name bandied about, even amongst his friends and boon
companions.

*****

STORY THE FIFTY-EIGHTH -- SCORN FOR SCORN.

By Monseigneur.

_Of two comrades who wished to make their mistresses b