with this lady, and seeing that he had changed in
every respect, and frequented churches, sermons, and confessions, they
suspected that this was only in order to win the lady's favour, and
could not refrain from hinting as much to him.

The Captain feared that if the lady should hear any such talk he would
be banished from her presence, and accordingly he told her husband and
herself that he was on the point of being despatched on his journey by
the King, and had much to tell them, but that for the sake of greater
secrecy he did not desire to speak to them in the presence of others,
for which reason he begged them to send for him when they had both
retired for the night. The gentleman deemed this to be good advice, and
did not fail to go to bed early every evening, and to make his wife also
undress. When all their servants had left them, they used to send for
the Captain, and talk with him about the journey to Jerusalem, in the
midst of which the old gentleman would oft-times fall asleep with his
mind full of pious thoughts. When the Captain saw the old gentleman
asleep in bed, and found himself on a chair near her whom he deemed the
fairest and noblest woman in the world, his heart was so rent between
his desires and his dread of speaking that he often lost the power
of speech. In order that she might not perceive this, he would force
himself to talk of the holy places of Jerusalem where there were such
signs of the great love that Jesus Christ bore us; and he would speak of
this love, using it as a cloak for his own, and looking at the lady
with sighs and tears which she never understood. By reason of his devout
countenance she indeed believed him to be a very holy man, and begged of
him to tell her what his life had been, and how he had come to love God
in that way.

He told her that he was a poor gentleman, who, to arrive at riches and
honour, had disregarded his conscience in marrying a woman who was too
close akin to him, and this on account of the wealth she possessed,
albeit she was ugly and old, and he loved her not; and when he had drawn
all her money from her, he had gone to seek his fortune at sea, and had
so prospered by his toil, that he had now come to an honourable estate.
But since he had made his hearer's acquaintance, she, by reason of her
pious converse and good example, had changed all his manner of life, and
should he return from his present enterprise he was wholly resolved to
take her husband an