"--Ed
Just, however, when their sleep was at its soundest, they were awakened
by their door being opened from without, and the Duke drew the curtain
and looked to see who it might be, suspecting indeed that it was one of
his friends who was minded to surprise him. But he perceived a tall, old
bed-chamber woman come in and walk straight up to their bed, where, for
the darkness of the room, she could not recognise them. Seeing them,
however, quite close together, she began to cry out--
"Thou vile and naughty wanton! I have long suspected thee to be what
thou art, yet for lack of proof spoke not of it to my mistress. But now
thy vileness is so clearly shown that I shall in no sort conceal it; and
thou, foul renegade, who hast wrought such shame in this house by the
undoing of this poor wench, if it were not for the fear of God, I would
e'en cudgel thee where thou liest. Get up, in the devil's name, get up,
for methinks even now thou hast no shame."
The Duke of Vendome and the Princess hid their faces against each other
in order to have the talk last longer, and they laughed so heartily that
they were not able to utter a word. Finding that for all her threats
they were not willing to rise, the serving-woman came closer in order to
pull them by the arms.
Pages:
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155