_TALE XV_.
_Through the favour of King Francis, a simple gentleman of the Court married a very rich woman, of whom, however, as much by reason of her extreme youth as of the bestowal of his own heart elsewhere, he made but little account; whereat, after trying every plan to please him, she was so moved with resentment and overcome by despair, that she resolved to console herself with another for the indignities which she endured from her husband._ (1)
1 The incidents referred to in this story must have occurred between 1515 and 1543, during the reign of Francis I.--L.
At the Court of King Francis the First there was a gentleman whose nameI know right well, but will not mention. He was poor, having less thanfive hundred livres a year, but he was so well liked by the King forhis many qualities that he at last married a lady of such wealth thata great lord would have been pleased to take her. As she was still veryyoung, he begged one of the greatest ladies of the Court to receive herinto her household, and this the lady very willingly did.
Now this gentleman was so courteous, so handsome, and so full of gracethat he was held in great regard by all the ladies of the Court, andamong the rest by one whom the King loved, and who was neither so youngnor so handsome as his own wife. And by reason of the great love thatthe gentleman bore this lady, he made such little account of his wife,that he slept scarcely one night in the year with her, and, what shefound still harder to endure, he never spoke to her or showed her anysign of love. And although he enjoyed her fortune, he allowed her sosmall a share in it, that she was not dressed as was fitting for oneof her station, or as she herself desired. The lady with whom she abodewould often reproach the gentleman for this, saying to him--
"Your wife is handsome, rich, and of a good family, yet you make no moreaccount of her than if she were the opposite. In her extreme youth andchildishness she has hitherto submitted to your neglect; but I fear methat when she finds herself grown-up and handsome, her mirror and someone that loves you not will so set before her eyes that beauty by whichyou set so little store, that resentment will lead her to do what shedurst not think of had you treated her well."
The gentleman, however, having bestowed his heart elsewhere, made lightof what the lady said, and notwithstanding her admonitions, continued tolead the same life as before.
But when two or three years had gone by, his wife became one of the mostbeautiful women ever seen in France, so that she was reputed to have noequal at the Court. And the more she felt herself worthy of being loved,the more distressed she was to find that her husband paid noattention to her; and so great became her affliction that, but for theconsolations of her mistress, she had well-nigh been in despair. Aftertrying every possible means to please her husband, she reflected thathis inclinations must needs be directed elsewhere, for otherwise hecould not but respond to the deep love that she bore him. Thereupon shemade such skilful inquiries that she discovered the truth, namely, thathe was every night so fully occupied in another quarter that he couldgive no thought to his wife or to his conscience.
Having thus obtained certain knowledge of the manner of life he led,she fell into such deep melancholy, that she would not dress herselfotherwise than in black or attend any place of entertainment. Hermistress, who perceived this, did all that in her lay to draw her fromsuch a mood, but could not. And although her husband was made acquaintedwith her state, he showed himself more inclined to make light of it thanto relieve it.
You are aware, ladies, that just as extreme joy will give occasion totears, so extreme grief finds an outlet in some joy. In this wise ithappened that a great lord who was near akin to the lady's mistress, andwho often visited her, hearing one day of the strange fashion in whichshe was treated by her husband, pitied her so deeply that he desired totry to console her; and on speaking to her, found her so handsome, sosensible, and so virtuous, that he became far more desirous of winningher favour than of talking to her about her husband, unless it were toshow her what little cause she had to love him.
The lady, finding that, though forsaken by the man who ought to haveloved her, she was on the other hand loved and sought after by sohandsome a Prince, deemed herself very fortunate in having thus won hisfavour. And although she still desired to preserve her honour, she tookgreat pleasure in talking to him and in reflecting that she was lovedand prized, for these were two things for which, so to speak, shehungered.
This friendship continued for some time, until it came to the knowledgeof the King, who had so much regard for the lady's husband that hewas unwilling he should be put to any shame or vexation. He thereforeearnestly begged the Prince to forego his inclinations, threatening himwith his displeasure should he continue to press his suit.
The Prince, who set the favour of the King above all the ladies in theworld, promised for his sake to lay aside the enterprise, and to go thatvery evening and bid the lady farewell. This he did as soon as he knewthat she had retired to her own apartments, over which was the room ofthe gentleman, her husband. And the husband being that evening at hiswindow, saw the Prince going into his wife's room beneath. The Princesaw him also, but went in for all that, and in bidding farewell to herwhose love was but beginning, pleaded as his sole reason the King'scommand.
After many tears and lamentations and regrets, which lasted until anhour after midnight, the lady finally said--
"I praise God, my lord, that it pleases Him you should lose your lovefor me, since it is so slight and weak that you are able to take it upand lay it down at the command of man. For my own part, I have neverasked mistress or husband or even myself for permission to love you;Love, aided by your good looks and courtesy, gained such dominion overme that I could recognise no God or King save him. But since your heartis not so full of true love that fear may not find room in it, you canbe no perfect lover, and I will love none that is imperfect so perfectlyas I had resolved to love you. Farewell, then, my lord, seeing that youare too timorous to deserve a love as frank as mine."
The Prince went away in tears, and looking back he again noticed thehusband, who was still at the window, and had thus seen him go in andcome out again. Accordingly he told him on the morrow why he had goneto see his wife, and of the command that the King had laid upon him,whereat the gentleman was well pleased, and gave thanks to the King.
However, finding that his wife was becoming more beautiful every day,whilst he himself was growing old and less handsome than before, hebegan to change his tactics, and to play the part which he had for along time imposed upon his wife, bestowing some attention upon her andseeking her more frequently than had been his wont. But the more she wassought by him the more was he shunned by her; for she desired to pay himback some part of the grief that he had caused her by his indifference.
Moreover, being unwilling to forego so soon the pleasure that love wasbeginning to afford her, she addressed herself to a young gentleman, whowas so very handsome, well-spoken, and graceful that he was loved byall the ladies of the Court. And by complaining to him of the manner inwhich she had been treated, she lured him to take pity upon her, sothat he left nothing untried in his attempts to comfort her. She, onher part, to console herself for the loss of the Prince who had forsakenher, set herself to love this gentleman so heartily that she came toforget her former grief, and to think of nothing but the skilful conductof her new amour, in which she succeeded so well that her mistressperceived nought of it, for she was careful not to speak to her loverin her mistress's presence. When she wished to talk with him she wouldbetake herself to the rooms of some ladies who lived at the Court,amongst whom was one that her husband made a show of being in love with.
Now one dark evening she stole away after supper, without taking anycompanion with her, and repaired to the apartment belonging to theseladies, where she found the man whom she loved better than herself. Shesat down beside him, and leaning upon a table they conversed togetherwhile pretending to read in the same book. Some one whom her husband hadset to watch then went an
d reported to him whither his wife was gone.Being a prudent man, he said nothing, but as quickly as possiblebetook himself to the room, where he found his wife reading the book.Pretending, however, not to see her, he went straight to speak to theother ladies, who were in another part of the room. But when his poorwife found herself discovered by him in the company of a gentleman towhom she had never spoken in his presence, she was in such confusionthat she quite lost her wits; and being unable to pass along the bench,she leaped upon the table and fled as though her husband were pursuingher with a drawn sword. And then she went in search of her mistress, whowas just about to withdraw to her own apartments.
When her mistress was undressed, and she herself had retired, one ofher women brought her word that her husband was inquiring for her. Sheanswered plainly that she would not go, for he was so harsh and strangethat she dreaded lest he should do her some harm.
At last, however, for fear of worse, she consented to go. Her husbandsaid not a word to her until they were in bed together, when beingunable to dissemble so well as he, she began to weep. And when he askedher the cause of this, she told him that she was afraid lest he shouldbe angry at having found her reading in company with a gentleman.
He then replied that he had never forbidden her to speak to a man, anddid not take it ill that she had done so; but he did indeed take it illthat she had run from him as though she had done something deserving ofcensure, and her flight and nothing else had led him to think that shewas in love with the gentleman. He therefore commanded her never tospeak to him again in public or in private, and assured her that thefirst time she did so he would slay her without mercy or compassion. Shevery readily promised to obey, and made up her mind not to be so foolishanother time.
But things are desired all the more for being forbidden, and it was notlong before the poor woman had forgotten her husband's threats and herown promises. That very same evening she sent to the gentleman, begginghim to visit her at night. But the husband, who was so tormentedby jealousy that he could not sleep, and who had heard say that thegentleman visited his wife at night, wrapped himself in a cloak, andtaking a valet with him, went to his wife's apartment and knocked at thedoor. She, not in the least expecting him, got up alone, put on furredslippers and a dressing-gown which were lying close at hand, and findingthat the three or four women whom she had with her were asleep, wentforth from her room and straight to the door at which she had heard theknocking. On her asking, "Who is there?" she received in answer the nameof her lover; but to be still more certain, she opened a little wicket,saying--
"If you be the man you say you are, show me your hand, and I shallrecognise it."
And when she touched her husband's hand she knew who it was, and quicklyshutting the wicket, cried out--
"Ha, sir! it is your hand."
The husband replied in great wrath--
"Yes; it is the hand that will keep faith with you. Do not fail,therefore, to come when I send for you."
With these words he went away to his own apartment, whilst she, moredead than alive, went back into her room, and cried out aloud to herservant-women, "Get up, my friends; you have slept only too well for me,for thinking to trick you, I have myself been tricked."
With these words she swooned away in the middle of the room. Thewomen rose at her cry, and were so astonished at seeing their mistressstretched upon the floor, as well as at hearing the words, she haduttered, that they were at their wits' end, and sought in haste forremedies to restore her. When she was able to speak, she said to them--
"You see before you, my friends, the most unhappy creature in theworld."
And thereupon she went on to tell them the whole adventure, and beggedof them to help her, for she counted her life as good as lost.
While they were seeking to comfort her, a valet came with orders thatshe was to repair to her husband instantly. Thereupon, clinging to twoof her women, she began to weep and wail, begging them not to suffer herto go, for she was sure she would be killed. But the valet assured herto the contrary, offering to pledge his life that she should receive nohurt. Seeing that she lacked all means of resistance, she at last threwherself into the servant's arms, and said to him--
"Since it may not be otherwise, you must e'en carry this hapless body toits death."
Half fainting in her distress, she was then at once borne by thevalet to his master's apartment. When she reached it, she fell at herhusband's feet, and said to him--
"I beseech you, sir, have pity on me, and I swear to you by the faith Iowe to God that I will tell you the whole truth."
"'Fore God you shall," he replied, like one beside himself, andforthwith he drove all the servants from the room.
Having always found his wife very devout, he felt sure that she wouldnot dare to forswear herself on the Holy Cross. He therefore sent for avery beautiful crucifix that belonged to him, and when they were alonetogether, he made her swear upon it that she would return true repliesto his questions. Already, however, she had recovered from her firstdread of death, and taking courage, she resolved that if she was to dieshe would make no concealment of the truth, but at the same time wouldsay nothing that might injure the gentleman she loved. Accordingly,having heard all the questions that her husband had to put to her, shereplied as follows--
"I have no desire, sir, either to justify myself or to lessen to you thelove that I have borne to the gentleman you suspect; for if I did, youcould not and you should not believe me. Nevertheless, I desire to tellyou the cause of this affection. Know, then, sir, that never did wifelove husband more than I loved you, and that from the time I wedded youuntil I reached my present age, no other passion ever found its way intomy heart. You will remember that while I was still a child, my parentswished to marry me to one richer and more highly born than yourself,but they could never gain my consent to this from the moment I had oncespoken to you. In spite of all their objections I held fast to you,and gave as little heed to your poverty as to their remonstrances. Youcannot but know what treatment I have had at your hands hitherto, andthe fashion in which you have loved and honoured me; and this has causedme so much grief and discontent that but for the succour of the ladywith whom you placed me, I should have been in despair. But at last,finding myself fully grown and deemed beautiful by all but you, I beganto feel the wrong you did me so keenly that the love I had for youchanged into hate, and the desire of obeying you into one for revenge.In this despairing condition I was found by a Prince who, being moreanxious to obey the King than Love, forsook me just as I was beginningto feel my pangs assuaged by an honourable affection. When the Princehad left me, I lighted upon this present gentleman; and he had no needto entreat me, for his good looks, nobleness, grace, and virtue arewell worthy of being sought after and courted by all women of soundunderstanding. At my instance, not at his own, he has loved me in allvirtue, so that never has he sought from me aught that honour mightrefuse. And although I have but little cause to love you, and so mightbe absolved from being loyal and true to you, my love of God and of myhonour has hitherto sufficed to keep me from doing aught that would callfor confession or shame. I will not deny that I went into a closet asoften as I could to speak with him, under pretence of going thither tosay my prayers, for I have never trusted the conduct of this matter toany one, whether man or woman. Further, I will not deny that when in sosecret a place and safe from all suspicion I have kissed him with moregoodwill than I kiss you. But as I look to God for mercy, no otherfamiliarity has passed between us; he has never urged me to it, nor hasmy heart ever desired it; for I was so glad at seeing him that methoughtthe world contained no greater pleasure.
"And now, sir, will you, who are the sole cause of my misfortune, takevengeance for conduct of which you have yourself long since set me anexample, with, indeed, this difference, that in your case you thoughtnought of either honour or conscience; for you know and I know toothat the woman you love does not rest content with what God and reasonenjoin. And albeit the law of man deals great dishonour to wives
wholove other men than their husbands, the law of God does not exempt frompunishment the husbands who love other women than their wives. And if myoffences are to be weighed against yours, you are more to blame thanI, for you are a wise and experienced man, and of an age to know andto shun evil, whilst I am young and have no experience of the might andpower of love. You have a wife who desires you, honours you, and lovesyou more than her own life; while I have a husband who avoids me, hatesme, and rates me as lightly as he would a servant maid. You are in lovewith a woman who is already old, of meagre figure, and less fair than I;whilst I love a gentleman younger, handsomer, and more amiable than you.You love the wife of one of the best friends you have in the world, themistress, moreover, of your King and master, so that you offend againstthe friendship that is due to the first, and the respect that is due tothe second; whereas I am in love with a gentleman whose only tie is hislove for me. Judge then fairly which of us two is the more worthy ofpunishment or pardon: you, a man of wisdom and experience, who throughno provocation on my part have acted thus ill not only towards me, buttowards the King, to whom you are so greatly indebted; or I, who amyoung and ignorant, who am slighted and despised by you, and loved bythe handsomest and most worshipful gentleman in France, a gentleman whomI have loved in despair of ever being loved by you."
When the husband heard her utter these truths with so fair acountenance, and with such a bold and graceful assurance as clearlytestified that she neither dreaded nor deserved any punishment, he wasovercome with astonishment, and could find nothing to reply except thata man's honour and a woman's were not the same thing. However, since sheswore to him that there had been nothing between herself and her loverbut what she had told him, he was not minded to treat her ill, providedshe would act so no more, and that they both put away the memory of thepast. To this she agreed, and they went to bed in harmony together.
Next morning an old damosel who was in great fear for her mistress'slife came to her at her rising, and asked--
"Well, madam, and how do you fare?"
"I would have you know," said her mistress, laughing, "that there is nota better husband than mine, for he believed me on my oath."
And so five or six days passed by.
Meanwhile the husband had such care of his wife that he caused a watchto be kept on her both night and day. But for all his care he could notprevent her from again speaking with her lover in a dark and suspiciousplace. However, she contrived matters with such secrecy that no one,whether man or woman, could ever learn the truth, though a rumour wasstarted by some serving-man about a gentleman and a lady whom he hadfound in a stable underneath the rooms belonging to the mistress of thelady in question. At this her husband's suspicions were so great that heresolved to slay the gentleman, and gathered together a large number ofhis relations and friends to kill him if he was anywhere to be found.But the chief among his kinsmen was so great a friend of the gentlemanwhom they sought, that instead of surprising him he gave him warning ofall that was being contrived against him, for which reason the other,being greatly liked by the whole Court, was always so well attended thathe had no fear of his enemy's power, and could not be taken unawares andattacked.
However, he betook himself to a church to meet his lady's mistress,who had heard nothing of all that had passed, for the lovers had neverspoken together in her presence. But the gentleman now informed her ofthe suspicion and ill-will borne him by the lady's husband, and told herthat although he was guiltless he had nevertheless resolved to go on along journey in order to check the rumours, which were beginning greatlyto increase. The Princess, his lady's mistress, was much astonished onhearing this tale, and protested that the husband was much in the wrongto suspect so virtuous a wife, and one in whom she had ever found allworth and honour. Nevertheless, considering the husband's authority, andin order to quell these evil reports, she advised him to absent himselffor a time, assuring him that for her part she would never believe suchfoolish suspicions.
Both the gentleman and the lady, who was present, were well pleased atthus preserving the favour and good opinion of the Princess, who furtheradvised the gentleman to speak with the husband before his departure.He did as he was counselled, and meeting with the husband in a galleryclose to the King's apartment, he assumed a bold countenance, and saidto him with all the respect due to one of high rank--
"All my life, sir, I have desired to do you service, and my only rewardis to hear that last evening you lay in wait to kill me. I pray you,sir, reflect that while you have more authority and power than I have, Iam nevertheless a gentleman even as you are. It would be grievous to meto lose my life for naught. I pray you also reflect that you have a wifeof great virtue, and if any man pretend the contrary I will tell himthat he has foully lied. For my part, I can think of nothing that I havedone to cause you to wish me ill. If, therefore, it please you, I willremain your faithful servant; if not, I am that of the King, and withthat I may well be content."
The husband replied that he had in truth somewhat suspected him, buthe deemed him so gallant a man that he would rather have his friendshipthan his enmity; and bidding him farewell, cap in hand, he embracedhim like a dear friend. You may imagine what was said by those who, theevening before, had been charged to kill the gentleman, when they beheldsuch tokens of respect and friendship. And many and diverse were theremarks that each one made.
In this manner the gentleman departed, and as he had far less money thangood looks, his mistress delivered to him a ring that her husband hadgiven her of the value of three thousand crowns; and this he pledged forfifteen hundred.
Some time after he was gone, the husband came to the Princess, hiswife's mistress, and prayed her to grant his wife leave to go and dwellfor a while with one of his sisters. This the Princess thought verystrange, and so begged him to tell her the reasons of his request, thathe told her part of them, but not all. When the young lady had takenleave of her mistress and of the whole Court without shedding any tearsor showing the least sign of grief, she departed on her journey to theplace whither her husband desired her to go, travelling under the careof a gentleman who had been charged to guard her closely, and above allnot to suffer her to speak on the road to her suspected lover.
She knew of these instructions, and every day was wont to cause falsealarms, scoffing at her custodians and their lack of care. Thus one day,on leaving her lodging, she fell in with a Grey Friar on horseback, withwhom, being herself on her palfrey, she talked on the road the wholetime from the dinner to the supper hour. And when she was a quarter ofa league from the place where she was to lodge that night, she said tohim--
"Here, father, are two crowns which I give you for the consolation youhave afforded me this afternoon. They are wrapped in paper, for I wellknow that you would not venture to touch them. (2) And I beg you toleave the road as soon as you have parted from me, and to take carethat you are not seen by those who are with me. I say this for your ownwelfare, and because I feel myself beholden to you."
2 The Grey Friars belonging to a mendicant order were prohibited from demanding or accepting money; it was only allowable for them to receive gifts in kind, mainly edible produce. It was for this reason that the lady gave the friar the two crowns wrapped in paper, knowing that he ought not to touch the coins.--M. See also vol. i. p. 98, note 3.
The friar, well pleased with the two crowns, set off across the fieldsat full gallop; and when he was some distance away the lady said aloudto her attendants--
"You may well deem yourselves good servants and diligent guards. He asto whom you were to be so careful has been speaking to me the whole day,and you have suffered him to do so. Your good master, who puts so muchtrust in you, should give you the stick rather than give you wages."
When the gentleman who had charge of her heard these words he was soangry that he could not reply, but calling two others to him, set spursto his horse, and rode so hard that he at last reached the friar, who onperceiving his pursuers had fled as fast as he coul
d. However, the poorfellow was caught, being less well mounted than they were. He was quiteignorant of what it all meant, and cried them mercy, taking off his hoodin order that he might entreat them with bareheaded humility. Thereuponthey realised that he was not the man whom they sought, and that theirmistress had been mocking them. And this she did with even better effectupon their return to her.
"You are fitting fellows," said she, "to receive ladies in your charge.You suffer them to talk to any stranger, and then, believing whateverthey may say, you go and insult the ministers of God."
After all these jests they arrived at the place that her husband hadcommanded, and here her two sisters-in-law, with the husband of one ofthem, kept her in great subjection.
In the meanwhile her husband had heard how his ring had been pledgedfor fifteen hundred crowns, whereat he was exceedingly wrathful, and inorder to save his wife's honour and to get back the ring, he bade hissisters tell her to redeem it, he himself paying the fifteen hundredcrowns.
She cared nought for the ring since her lover had the money, but shewrote to him saying that she was compelled by her husband to redeem it,and in order that he might not suppose she was doing this through anylessening of her affection, she sent him a diamond which her mistresshad given, her, and which she liked better than any ring she had.
Thereupon the gentleman forwarded her the merchant's bond rightwillingly; deeming himself fortunate in having fifteen hundred crownsand 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 withher save by writing.
When the husband died, expecting to find her still what she had promisedhim to be, he came in all haste to ask her in marriage; but he foundthat his long absence had gained him a rival who was loved better thanhimself. His sorrow at this was so great that he henceforth shunned thecompanionship of ladies and sought out scenes of danger, and so at lastdied 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 _OEuvres de Brantome_, vol. ix. p. 157.--L.
"In this tale, ladies, I have tried, without sparing our own sex, toshow husbands that wives of spirit yield rather to vengeful wrath thanto the sweetness of love. The lady of whom I have told you withstoodthe latter for a great while, but in the end succumbed to despair.Nevertheless, no woman of virtue should yield as she did, for, happenwhat may, no excuse can be found for doing wrong. The greater thetemptations, the more virtuous should one show oneself, by resisting andovercoming evil with good, instead of returning evil for evil; and thisall the more because the evil we think to do to another often recoilsupon ourselves. Happy are those women who display the heavenly virtuesof chastity, gentleness, meekness, and long-suffering."
"It seems to me, Longarine," said Hircan, "that the lady of whom youhave spoken was impelled by resentment rather than by love; for had sheloved the gentleman as greatly as she appeared to do, she would nothave forsaken him for another. She may therefore be called resentful,vindictive, obstinate, and fickle."
"It is all very well for you to talk in that way," said Ennasuite, "butyou do not know the heartbreak of loving without return."
"It is true," said Hircan, "that I have had but little experience inthat way. If I am shown the slightest disfavour, I forthwith forego ladyand love together."
"That," said Parlamente, "is well enough for you who love only your ownpleasure; but a virtuous wife cannot thus forsake her husband."
"Yet," returned Simontault, "the lady in the story forgot for a whilethat she was a woman. No man could have taken a more signal revenge."
"It does not follow," said Oisille, "because one woman lacks discretionthat all the rest are the same."
"Nevertheless," said Saffredent, "you are all women, as any one wouldfind who looked carefully, despite all the fine clothes you may wear."
"If we were to listen to you," said Nomerlide, "we should spend the dayin disputes. For my part, I am so impatient to hear another tale, that Ibeg Longarine to give some one her vote."
Longarine looked at Geburon and said:--
"If you know anything about a virtuous woman, I pray you set it forth."
"Since I am to do what I can," said Geburon, "I will tell you a tale ofsomething that happened in the city of Milan."
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[The Gentleman discovering the Trick]
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