ting the
hare or seeking for lodgings, heard at the door that the lady's husband
had arrived, and you may guess how joyful he was at the news.

He asked his guide what was to be done? They consulted together, and it
was decided that he should pretend to have lost his companions, and, by
good chance, met this messenger, who had brought him to the castle. This
being arranged, he was brought before my lord and my lady, and acted his
part as he well knew how. After having quaffed a cup of wine--which did
him very little good--he was led to his bed-chamber, where he scarcely
slept all night, and, early the next morning, returned with his host to
Court, without having tasted any of the delights which were promised him
in the letter.

And I may add that he was never able to return there again, for soon
afterwards the Court left that part of the country, and he went with it,
and soon forgot all about the lady--as often happens.

*****

STORY THE EIGHTY-SECOND -- BEYOND THE MARK. [82]

By Monseigneur De Lannoy.

_Of a shepherd who made an agreement with a shepherdess that he should
mount upon her "in order that he might see farther," but was not to
penetrate beyond a mark which she herself made with her hand upon the
instrument of the said shepherd--as will more plainly appear hereafter._

Listen, if you please, to what happened, near Lille, to a shepherd and
young shepherdess who tended their flocks together, or near each other.

Nature had already stirred in them, and they were of an age to know "the
way of the world", so one day an agreement was made between them
that the shepherd should mount on the shepherdess "in order to see
farther",--provided, however, that he should not penetrate beyond a
mark which she made with her hand upon the natural instrument of the
shepherd, and which was about two fingers' breadth below the head; and
the mark was made with a blackberry taken from the hedge.

That being done, they began God's work, and the shepherd pushed in as
though it had cost him no trouble, and without thinking about any mark
or sign, or the promise he had made to the shepherdess, for all that he
had he buried up to the hilt, and if he had had more he would have found
a place to put it.

The pretty shepherdess, who had never had such a wedding, enjoyed
herself so much that she would willingly have done nothing else all her
life. The battle being ended, both went to look after their sheep, which
had me