tameron_ tales.--M.

The lady pretended not to understand him, and replied--

"God's name should not thus be taken in vain; but the poets say that
the gods laugh at the oaths and lies of lovers, and so women who regard
their honour should not show themselves credulous or compassionate."

With these words she rose up and returned home.

The gentleman's anger at these words may well be imagined by such as
have experienced the like fortune. But having no lack of spirit, he held
it better to have received this unfavourable reply than to have failed
in declaring his love, to which he held fast during three years, losing
neither time nor opportunity in wooing her by letters and in other ways.

For three years, however, she vouchsafed him no reply, but shunned
him as the wolf shuns the hound that is to take him; and this she did
through fear for her honour and fair fame, and not because she hated
him. He perceived this so clearly that he pursued her more eagerly than
ever; and at last, after many refusals, troubles, tortures and despairs,
the lady took pity upon him for the greatness and steadfastness of his
love, and so granted him what he had so greatly desired and so long
awaited.

When they had agreed concerning the means to be employed, the French
gentleman failed not to repair to her house, although in doing so he
placed his life in great danger, seeing that she and her relations lived
all together.

However, being as skilful as he was handsome, he contrived the matter
so prudently that he was able to enter the lady's room at the hour which
she had appointed, and found her there all alone, lying in a beautiful
bed; but as he was hasting to put off his clothes in order to join her,
he heard a great whispering at the door, and a noise of swords scraping
against the wall.

Then the widow said to him, with the face of one nigh to death--

"Now is your life and my honour in as great danger as well can be, for I
hear my brothers outside seeking you to slay you. I pray you, therefore,
hide yourself under this bed, and when they fail to find you I shall
have reason to be angry with them for alarming me without just cause."

The gentleman, who had never yet known fear, replied--

"And what, pray, are your brothers that they should frighten a man of
mettle? If the whole breed of them were there together, I am sure they
would not tarry for the fourth thrust of my sword. Do you, therefore,
rest quietly in bed, and leave