anderer by all
the rest."

"I give you my place," said Ennasuite, "praying you withal to control
your natural disposition, so that you may acquit yourself worthily in
our honour."

Forthwith Simontault began--

"Tis no new thing, ladies, to hear of some virtuous act on your part
which, methinks, should not be hidden but rather written in letters
of gold, that it may serve women as an example, and give men cause for
admiration at seeing in the weaker sex that from which weakness is prone
to shrink. I am prompted, therefore, to relate something that I heard
from Captain Robertval and divers of his company."

[Illustration: 154.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration: 155a. The Wife Reading to her Husband on the Desert Island]

[The Wife Reading to her Husband on the Desert Island]

[Illustration: 155.jpg Page Image]

_TALE LXVII_.

_A poor woman risked her own life to save that of her
husband, whom she forsook not until death_.

The Captain Robertval aforesaid once made a voyage across the seas
to the island of Canadas, (1) himself being chief in command by the
appointment of the King, his master. And there, if the air of the
country were good, he had resolved to dwell and to build towns and
castles. With this work he made such a beginning as is known to all;
and to people the country with Christians he took with him all kinds of
artificers, among whom was a most wicked man, who betrayed his master
and put him in danger of being captured by the natives. But God willed
that his attempt should be discovered before any evil befell the
Captain, who, seizing the wicked traitor, was minded to punish him as
he deserved. And this he would have done but for the man's wife, who had
followed her husband through the perils of the deep and would not now
leave him to die, but with many tears so wrought upon the Captain and
all his company that, for pity of her and for the sake of the services
she had done them, her request was granted. In consequence, husband and
wife were left together on a small island in the sea, inhabited only
by wild beasts, and were suffered to take with them such things as were
needful.

1 Canada had been discovered by Cabot in 1497; and in 1535
James Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence and, taking
possession of the country in the name of Francis I., called
it La Nouvelle France. Seven years later a gentleman of
Picardy, named John Francis de La Roque, Lord of Robe