g.

"Well done," said the mother. "Now I will leave you, and recommend
you to God, and pray that He may give you good luck. Farewell, my dear
child."

"Farewell, my good and wise mother."

As soon as the schoolmistress had finished, the husband who was outside
the door expecting something better, came in. The mother closed the
door, and told him that she hoped he would be gentle with her daughter.
He promised that he would, and as soon as he had bolted the door,
he--who had on nothing on but his doublet,--threw it off, jumped on
the bed, drew as close as he could to his bride, and, lance in hand,
prepared to give battle.

But when he approached the barrier where the skirmish was to take place,
the girl laid hold of his lance, which was as straight and stiff as a
cowkeeper's horn, and when she felt how hard and big it was, she was
very frightened, and began to cry aloud, and said that her shield was
not strong enough to receive and bear the blows of such a huge weapon.

Do all he would, the husband could not persuade her to joust with
him, and this bickering lasted all night, without his being able to do
anything, which much displeased our bridegroom. Nevertheless, he was
patient, hoping to make up for lost time the next night, but it was
the same as the first night, and so was the third, and so on up to the
fifteenth, matters remaining just as I have told you.

When fifteen days had passed since the young couple had been married,
and they had still not come together, the mother came to visit her
pupil, and after a thousand questions, spoke to the girl of her husband,
and asked what sort of man he was, and whether he did his duty well? And
the girl said that he was a nice, young man, quiet and peaceable.

"But," said the mother; "does he do what he ought to do?"

"Yes," said the girl, "but-----"

"But _what?_" said the mother. "You are keeping something back I am
sure. Tell me at once, and conceal nothing; for I must know now. Is he a
man capable of performing his marital duties in the way I taught you?"

The poor girl, being thus pressed, was obliged to own that he had not
yet done the business, but she did not say that she was the cause of the
delay, and that she had always refused the combat.

When her mother heard this sad news, God knows what a disturbance she
made, swearing by all her gods that she would soon find a remedy for
that, for she was well acquainted with the judge of Rouen, who was her
frien