ask, if you kill the child, bury its little body safe from beasts and
birds." She said no more, and her manner showed no anger or
resentment.

The soldier told all to the duke. "Take the child secretly," he said,
"to my sister, the Countess of Boulogne. I will give you letters to
ask her to tend and rear it carefully; yet the child must never know
its birth and parentage, and Griselda, my wife, must think her babe
is dead." The soldier obeyed.

For many months Duke Walter watched to see if he could find in
Griselda any signs of impatience and grief, but she was humble as
ever, and never even mentioned her baby nor asked after it.

After four years a baby boy was born to her, and again she was happy,
and the people rejoiced greatly; but when the baby was two years old,
again Duke Walter was possessed with the desire to torment and try
his wife. Again he said that the courtiers disliked the child because
the mother was a peasant's daughter, and again he sent the rough
sergeant to seize the child and act as though he would kill it. Again
Griselda kissed her baby farewell, and begged the soldier to bury its
little body carefully; but still her manner was meek and gentle and
showed no resistance to the cruel decrees of her husband and lord.
The duke as before sent the baby secretly to Boulogne, and there
sister and brother grew into fine handsome children, yet no one knew
who they were.

If Duke Walter had not known for sure how dearly Griselda loved her
children, he might have thought from her manner that she did not care
for them at all; for neither by word nor deed did she ever swerve