_TALE VII_.
_By the craft and subtlety of a merchant an old woman was deceived and the honour of her daughter saved_.
In the city of Paris there lived a merchant who was in love with a younggirl of his neighbourhood, or, to speak more truly, she was more inlove with him than he with her. For the show he made to her of loveand devotion was but to conceal a loftier and more honourable passion.However, she suffered herself to be deceived, and loved him so much thatshe had quite forgotten the way to refuse.
After the merchant had long taken trouble to go where he could see her,he at last made her come whithersoever it pleased himself. Her motherdiscovered this, and being a very virtuous woman, she forbade herdaughter ever to speak to the merchant on pain of being sent to anunnery. But the girl, whose love for the merchant was greater than herfear of her mother, went after him more than ever.
It happened one day, when she was in a closet all alone, the merchantcame in to her, and finding himself in a place convenient for thepurpose, fell to conversing with her as privily as was possible. Buta maid-servant, who had seen him go in, ran and told the mother, whobetook herself thither in great wrath. When the girl heard her coming,she said, weeping, to the merchant--"Alas! sweetheart, the love that Ibear you will now cost me dear. Here comes my mother, who will know forcertain what she has always feared and suspected."
The merchant, who was not a bit confused by this accident, straightwayleft the girl and went to meet the mother. Stretching out his arms, hehugged her with all his might, and, with the same ardour with which hehad begun to entertain the daughter, threw the poor old woman on to asmall bed. She was so taken aback at being thus treated that she couldfind nothing to say but--"What do you want? Are you dreaming?"
For all that he ceased not to press her as closely as if she had beenthe fairest maiden in the world, and had she not cried out so loudlythat her serving-men and women came to her aid, she would have gone bythe same road as she feared her daughter was treading.
However, the servants dragged the poor old woman by main force out ofthe merchant's arms, and she never knew for what reason he had thusused her. Meanwhile, her daughter took refuge in a house hard by wherea wedding was going on. Since then she and the merchant have ofttimeslaughed together at the expense of the old woman, who was never any thewiser.
"By this story, ladies, you may see how, by the subtlety of a man, anold woman was deceived and the honour of a young one saved. Any onewho would give the names, or had seen the merchant's face and theconsternation of the old woman, would have a very tender conscienceto hold from laughing. It is sufficient for me to prove to you by thisstory that a man's wit is as prompt and as helpful at a pinch as awoman's, and thus to show you, ladies, that you need not fear to fallinto men's hands. If your own wit should fail you, you will find theirsprepared to shield your honour."
"In truth, Hircan," said Longarine, "I grant that the tale is a verypleasant one and the wit great, but the example is not such as maidsshould follow. I readily believe there are some whom you would fain haveapprove it, but you are not so foolish as to wish that your wife, orher whose honour you set higher than her pleasure,(1) should play sucha game. I believe there is none who would watch them more closely orshield them more readily than you."
1 M. Frank, adopting the generally received opinion that Hircan is King Henry of Navarre, believes this to be an allusion to one of the King's sisters--Ann, who married the Count of Estrac, or Isabel, who married M. de Rohan--but it is more likely that Henry's daughter, Jane d'Albret, is the person referred to.--Ed.
"By my conscience," said Hircan, "if she whom you mention had done sucha thing, and I knew nothing about it, I should think none the less ofher. For all I know, some one may have played as good a trick on me;however, knowing nothing, I am unconcerned."
At this Parlamente could not refrain from saying--
"A wicked man cannot but be suspicious; happy are those who give nooccasion for suspicion."
"I have never seen a great fire from which there came no smoke," saidLongarine, "but I have often seen smoke where there was no fire. Thewicked are as suspicious when there is no mischief as when there is."
"Truly, Longarine," Hircan forthwith rejoined, "you have spoken so wellin support of the honour of ladies wrongfully suspected, that I give youmy vote to tell the eighth tale. I hope, however, that you will not makeus weep, as Madame Oisille did, by too much praise of virtuous women."
At this Longarine laughed heartily, and thus began:--"You want me tomake you laugh, as is my wont, but it shall not be at women's expense.I will show you, however, how easy it is to deceive them when they areinclined to be jealous and esteem themselves clever enough to deceivetheir husbands."
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APPENDIX.