in such mortal fear at the
sight of him--believing it was the Devil himself--that he tumbled full
length on the floor and nearly broke his neck, and was for a long time
in a swoon.

His wife, seeing him in this condition, came forward, and pretending to
show much more fear than she really felt, supported him in her arms, and
asked him what was the matter. As soon as he came to himself, he said in
broken accents, and with a piteous air; "Did you see that devil I met."

"Yes, I did," she replied, "and I nearly died of fright at the sight."

"Why does it come to our house?" he asked, "And who could have sent
it? I shall not recover myself for a year or two, I have been so
frightened."

"Nor shall I, by God," said the pious lady. "I believe it must mean
something. May God keep us, and protect us from all evil fortune. My
heart forebodes some mischief from this vision."

Every one in the castle gave his or her version of the devil with a
drawn sword, and they all believed it was a real devil. The good lady,
who held the key of the mystery, was very glad to see them of that
opinion. Ever after that the said devil continued to do the work that
everyone does so willingly, though the husband, and everybody except a
discreet waiting woman, were ignorant of the fact.

*****

[Illustration: 73.jpg The Bird in the Cage.]

STORY THE SEVENTY-THIRD -- THE BIRD IN THE CAGE.

By Jehan Lambin.

_Of a cure who was in love with the wife of one of his parishioners,
with whom the said cure was found by the husband of the woman, the
neighbours having given him warning--and how the cure escaped, as you
will hear._

In the district of Saint Pol, in a village near that town, there
formerly resided a worthy man, a labourer, married to a fair and buxom
woman with whom the cure of the village was in love. He was burning with
love for her, but he foresaw that his intentions might be suspected,
and thought that the best way to win her would be to first gain the
friendship of her husband.

He confided this opinion to the woman, and asked her advice, and she
replied that it was a very good plan to enable them to carry out their
amorous intentions.

The cure, by flattery and subtle means, made the acquaintance of the
good man, and managed him so well that he was always talking of "his
cure", and would not eat or do anything else without him. Every day he
would have him to dinner and supper, in short there was nothing done at