to marry a gentleman servant for love. If the
death was extraordinary, the pleasure also was novel, and it was the
greater seeing that it had against it the opinions of all wise folk, for
it was the happiness of a loving heart with tranquillity of soul, since
God was in no wise offended by it And as for the death that you call
cruel, it seems to me that, since death is unavoidable, the swifter it
comes the better; for we know that it is a road by which all of us must
travel. I deem those fortunate who do not long linger on the outksirts
of death, but who take a speedy flight from all that can be termed
happiness in this world to the happiness that is eternal."

"What do you mean by the outskirts of death?" said Simontault.

"Such as have deep tribulation of spirit," replied Nomerfide, "such,
too, as have long been ill, and in their extreme bodily or spiritual
pain have come to think lightly of death and find its approach too slow,
such, I say, as these have passed through the outskirts of death and
will tell you of the hostels where they knew more lamentation than rest.
The lady of the story could not help losing her husband through death,
but her brother's wrath preserved her from seeing him a long time sick
or distressed in mind. And turning the gladness that she had had with
him to the service of Our Lord, she might well esteem herself happy."

"Do you make no account," said Longarine, "of the shame that she
endured, or of her imprisonment?"

"I consider," said Nomerfide, "that a woman who lives perfectly, with a
love that is in keeping with the commands of her God, has no knowledge
of shame or dishonour except when they impair or lessen the perfection
of her love; for the glory of truly loving knows no shame. As for her
imprisonment, I imagine that, with her heart at large and devoted to God
and her husband, she thought nothing of it, but deemed her solitude
the greatest freedom. When one cannot see what one loves, the greatest
happiness consists in thinking constantly upon it, and there is no
prison so narrow that thought cannot roam in it at will."

"Nothing can be truer than what Nomerfide says," observed Simontault,
"but the man who in his passion brought this separation to pass must
have deemed himself unhappy indeed, seeing that he offended God, Love
and Honour."

"In good sooth," said Geburon, "I am amazed at the diversity of woman's
love. I can see that those who have most love have most virtue; but
t