layed the invalid so long. She when she felt--et cetera--asked
what that was, and he replied,

"It is the boil on my finger which has burst. I am cured I think--thank
God and you."

"On my word I am pleased to hear it," said the woman as she rose
from the bed. "If you are not quite cured, come back as often as you
like;--for to remove your pain there is nothing I would not do. And
another time do not be so modest when it is a question of recovering
your health."

*****

STORY THE NINETY-SIXTH -- A GOOD DOG. [96]

_Of a foolish and rich village cure who buried his dog in the
church-yard; for which cause he was summoned before his Bishop, and
how he gave 60 gold crowns to the Bishop, and what the Bishop said to
him--which you will find related here._

Listen if you please to what happened the other day to a simple village
cure. This good cure had a dog which he had brought up, and which
surpassed every other dog in the country in fetching a stick out of the
water, or bringing a hat that his master had forgotten, and many other
tricks. In short, this wise and good dog excelled in everything, and his
master so loved him that he never tired of singing his praises.

At last, I know not how, whether he ate something that disagreed with
him, or whether he was too hot or too cold, the poor dog became very
ill, and died, and went straightway to wherever all good dogs do go.

What did the honest cure do? You must know that his vicarage adjoined
the church-yard, and when he saw his poor dog quit this world, he
thought so wise a beast ought not to be without a grave, so he dug
a hole near the door of his house, and in the church-yard, and there
buried his dog. I do not know if he gave the dog a monument and an
epitaph, I only know that the news of the good dog's death spread over
the village, and at last reached the ears of the Bishop, together with
the report that his master had given him holy burial.

The cure was summoned to appear before the Bishop, who sent a sergeant
to fetch him.

"Alas!" said the cure, "what have I done, and why have I to appear
before the Bishop? I am much surprised at receiving this summons."

"As for me," said the sergeant, "I do not know what it is for, unless it
is because you buried your dog in the holy ground which is reserved for
the bodies of Christians."

"Ah," thought the cure to himself, "that must be it," and it occurred
to him that he had done wrong, but he knew that he