y had the knight and the lady entered the tavern than there came
four big swashbucklers--waggoners or drovers, or perhaps worse--who
noisily entered the tavern, and demanded where was the _bona roba_ that
some ruffian had brought there, riding behind him on his horse, for they
would drink with her, and amuse themselves with her.

The host who knew the knight well, and was aware that the rascals
spake not the truth, told them gently that the girl was not what they
imagined.

"Morbleu!" they replied; "if you do not bring her at once, we will
batter down the door, and bring her by force in spite of the two of
you."

When the host heard this, and found that his explanation was no use,
he named the knight, who was renowned through all that district, but
unknown to many of the common people, because he had long been out of
the country, acquiring honour and renown in wars in distant countries.
The host told them also that the damsel was a young virgin, a relative
of the knight, and of noble parentage.

"You can, messieurs," he said, "without danger to yourself or others,
quench your lust with many of the women who have come to the village on
the occasion of the _fete_ expressly for you and the like of you, and
for God's sake leave in peace this noble damsel, and think of the great
danger that you run, the evil that you wish to commit and the small hope
that you have of success."

"Drop your sermons," shouted the rascals, inflamed with carnal lust,
"and bring her to us quietly; or if not we will cause a scandal, for we
will bring her down openly, and each of us four will do as he likes with
her."

These speeches being finished, the good host went up to the chamber
where the knight and the damsel were, and called the knight apart, and
told him this news, which when he had heard, without being troubled
in the least, he went down wearing his sword, to talk to the four
swashbucklers, and asked them politely what they wanted?

And they, being foul-mouthed and abusive blackguards, replied that they
wanted the _bona roba_ that he kept shut up in his chamber, and that, if
he did not give her up quietly, they would take her from him by force.

"Fair sirs," said the knight, "if you knew me well you would be aware
that I should not take about women of that sort. I have never done such
a folly, thank God. And even if I ever did--which God forbid--I
should never do it in this district, where I and all my people are well
known--my