she was doing this through any
lessening of her affection, she sent him a diamond which her mistress
had given, her, and which she liked better than any ring she had.

Thereupon the gentleman forwarded her the merchant's bond right
willingly; deeming himself fortunate in having fifteen hundred crowns
and a diamond, (3) and at being still assured of his lady's favour.
However, as long as the husband lived, he had no means of communing with
her save by writing.

When the husband died, expecting to find her still what she had promised
him to be, he came in all haste to ask her in marriage; but he found
that his long absence had gained him a rival who was loved better than
himself. His sorrow at this was so great that he henceforth shunned the
companionship of ladies and sought out scenes of danger, and so at last
died in as high repute as any young man could have. (4)

3 The gentleman deemed it only natural that the woman he
honoured with his love should present him with money. In the
seventeenth century similar opinions were held, if one may
judge by some passages in Dancourt's comedies, and by the
presents which the Duchess of Cleveland made to Henry
Jerrayn and John Churchill, afterwards Duke of Marlborough,
as chronicled in the _Memoirs of the Count de Gramont_.--M.

4 Brantome tells a somewhat similar tale to this in his
_Vies des Dames Galantes_ (Dis. I.): "I knew," he writes,
"two ladies of the Court, sisters-in-law to one another, one
of whom was married to a courtier, high in favour and very
skilful, but who did not make as much account of his wife as
by reason of her birth he should have done, for he spoke to
her in public as he might have spoken to a savage, and
treated her most harshly. She patiently endured this for
some time, until indeed her husband lost some of his credit,
when, watching for and taking the opportunity, she quickly
repaid him for all the disdain that he had shown her. And
her sister-in-law imitated her and did likewise; for having
been married when of a young and tender age, her husband
made no more account of her than if she had been a little
girl.... But she, advancing in years, feeling her heart beat
and becoming conscious of her beauty, paid him back in the
same coin, and made him a present of a fine pair of horns,
by way of interest for the past"--Lalanne's