e
disease they may gain more praise and profit.

The good knight was greatly vexed at this news, and asked if there were
no means of cure, and the other replied that it would be very difficult,
nevertheless he might, with God's aid, cure it, if the knight would obey
all his instructions.

"If you can cure me and save my eye," said the knight, "I will pay you
well."

The bargain was made, and the surgeon undertook with God's aid to cure
the bad eye, and arranged at what hour he would come every day to apply
the dressings.

You must know that every time the surgeon came to see his patient, the
pretty chambermaid accompanied him, to hold his box or basin, or help to
move the poor patient, who forgot half his pain in the presence of his
lady-love.

If the good knight had been struck by the beauty of the chambermaid,
so also was the surgeon; who, each time that he paid a visit, could not
help casting sheep's eyes at the fair face of the chambermaid, and at
last passionately declared his love, which was well received, for she
immediately granted his requests, but it was not easy to find means to
carry out their ardent desires.

At last, after some trouble, a plan was hit on by the prudent and
cunning surgeon, and it was this:

"I will tell my patient," he said, "that his eye cannot be cured unless
his other eye is bandaged, for by throwing all the work on the sound
eye he prevents the other from getting well. If he will allow it to be
bandaged up, we shall have a capital means of taking our pleasure, even
in his chamber, without his having any suspicion of it."

The girl, whose desires were quite as warm as those of the surgeon, was
quite agreeable, provided the plan could be carried out.

"We will try," said the surgeon.

He came at the usual hour to see the bad eye, and when he had uncovered
it, pretended to be much surprised.

"What!" he cried. "I never saw such a disease; the eye is worse than it
was fifteen days ago. You must have patience, monsieur."

"In what way?" said the knight.

"Your good eye must be bandaged and concealed, so that no light can
reach it, for an hour or so after I have applied this plaster and
ordered another--for, no doubt, it prevents the other from healing.
Ask," he said, "this pretty girl, who sees it every day, how it is
getting on."

The girl said that it looked worse than before.

"Well," said the knight, "I leave myself in your hands; do with me
whatever you please. I a