, and her features, which he recognised in the same
way, he perceived that it was indeed none other than herself. And he was
well pleased to think that a woman who had never been reputed to have a
lover, and who had refused so many worthy gentlemen, should have chosen
himself alone.

But Love, which is ever changeful of mood, could not suffer him to live
long in such repose, but, filling him with self-conceit and hope, led
him to make known his love, in the expectation that she would then hold
him still more dear.

One day, when the Princess was in the garden, the lady Jambicque went to
walk in a pathway by herself. The gentleman, seeing that she was alone,
went up to converse with her, and, as though he had never elsewhere met
her, spoke as follows--

"Mistress, I have long borne towards you in my heart an affection which,
through dread of displeasing you, I have never ventured to reveal. But
now my pain has come to be such that I can no longer endure it and live,
for I think that no man could ever have loved you as I do."

The Lady Jambicque would not allow him to finish his discourse, but said
to him in great wrath--

"Did you ever hear or see that I had sweetheart or lover? I trow not,
and am indeed astonished to find you bold enough to address such words
to a virtuous woman like me. You have lived in the same house long
enough to know that I shall never love other than my husband; beware,
then, of speaking further after this fashion."

At this hypocrisy the gentleman could not refrain from laughing and
saying to her--

"You are not always so stern, madam, as you are now. What boots it to
use such concealment towards me? Is it not better to have a perfect than
an imperfect love?"

"I have no love for you," replied Jambicque, "whether perfect or
imperfect, except such as I bear to the rest of my mistress's servants.
But if you speak further to me as you have spoken now, I shall perhaps
have such hatred for you as may be to your hurt."

However, the gentleman persisted in his discourse.

"Where," said he, "is the kindness that you show me when I cannot see
you? Why do you withhold it from me now when the light suffers me to
behold both your beauty and your excellent and perfect grace?"

Jambicque, making a great sign of the cross, replied--

"Either you have lost your understanding or you are the greatest liar
alive. Never in my life have I to my knowledge shown you more kindness
or less than I do at th