eous Turk, the Sultan
Saladin, an honourable, a wise, and a conquering lord.

XVII

THE CHATELAINE OF VERGI

There are divers men who make a great show of loyalty, and pretend to
such discretion in the hidden things they hear, that at the end folk
come to put faith in them. When by their false seeming they have
persuaded the simple to open out to them their love and their deeds,
then they noise the matter about the country, and make it their song
and their mirth. Thus it chances that the lesser joy is his who has
bared to them his heart. For the sweeter the love, the more bitter is
the pang that lovers know, when each deems the other to have bruited
abroad the secret he should conceal. Oftentimes these blabbers do such
mischief with their tongue, that the love they spoil comes to its
close in sorrow and in care. This indeed happened in Burgundy to a
brave and worthy knight, and to the Lady of Vergi. This knight loved
his lady so dearly that she granted him her tenderness, on such
covenant as this--that the day he showed her favour to any, that very
hour he would lose the love and the grace she bestowed on him. To seal
this bond they devised together that the knight should come a days to
an orchard, at such hour as seemed good to his friend. He must remain
coy in his nook within the wall till he might see the lady's lapdog
run across the orchard. Then without further tarrying he should enter
her chamber, knowing full well she was alone, whom so fondly he
desired to greet. This he did, and in this fashion they met together
for a great while, none being privy to their sweet and stolen love,
save themselves alone.

The knight was courteous and fair, and by reason of his courage was
right welcome to that Duke who was lord of Burgundy. He came and went
about the Court, and that so often that the Duchess set her mind upon
him. She cared so little to hide her thought, that had his heart not
been in another's keeping, he must surely have perceived in her eyes
that she loved him. But however tender her semblance the knight showed
no kindness in return, for he marked nothing of her inclination.
Passing troubled was the dame that he should treat her thus; so that
on a day she took him apart, and sought to make him of her counsel.

"Sir, as men report, you are a brave and worthy knight, for the which
give God thanks. It would not be more than your deserts, if you had
for friend a lady in so high a place that her love w