ld seek until
he had found it.

To cut matters short, the good miller did so well that he restored to
the lady her beautiful diamond, which caused great joy throughout the
house, and never did miller receive so much honour and advancement as
the lady and her maids bestowed upon him.

The good miller, who was high in the good graces of the lady after the
much-desired conclusion of his great enterprise, left the house and went
home, without boasting to his wife of his recent adventure, though he
was more joyful over it than though he had gained the whole world.

A short time after, thank God, the knight returned to his castle, and
was kindly received and humbly welcomed by the lady, who whilst
they were enjoying themselves in bed, told him of the most wonderful
adventure of the diamond, and how it was fished out of her body by the
miller; and, to cut matters short, related the process, fashion, and
manner employed by the said miller in his search for the diamond, which
hardly gave her husband much joy, but he reflected that the miller had
paid him back in his own coin.

The first time he met the good miller, he saluted him coldly, and said,

"God save you! God save you, good diamond-searcher!"

To which the good miller replied,

"God save you! God save you, fastener of front-pieces!"

"By our Lady, you speak truly," said the knight. "Say nothing about me,
and I will say nothing about you."

The miller was satisfied, and never spoke of it again; nor did the
knight either, so far as I know.

*****

[Illustration: 04.jpg Story the Fourth -- THE ARMED CUCKOLD.]

STORY THE FOURTH -- THE ARMED CUCKOLD. [4]

By Monseigneur

_The fourth tale is of a Scotch archer who was in love with a fair
and gentle dame, the wife of a mercer, who, by her husband's orders
appointed a day for the said Scot to visit her, who came and treated her
as he wished, the said mercer being hid by the side of the bed, where he
could see and hear all._

When the king was lately in the city of Tours, a Scottish gentleman, an
archer of his bodyguard, was greatly enamoured of a beautiful and gentle
damsel married to a mercer; and when he could find time and place,
related to her his sad case, but received no favourable reply,--at which
he was neither content nor joyous. Nevertheless, as he was much in
love, he relaxed not the pursuit, but besought her so eagerly, that the
damsel, wishing to drive him away for good and all, told h