it."--M.

4 In _Joconde_ La Fontaine gives the end of the adventure as
follows:--

"Sans rencontrer personne et sans etre entendu
Il monte dans sa chambre et voit près de la dame
Un lourdaud de valet sur son sein étendu.
Tous deux dormaient. Dans cet abord Joconde
Voulut les envoyer dormir en l'autre monde,
Mais cependant il n'en fit rien
Et mon avis est qu'il fit bien."

Both in La Fontaine's _Conte_ and in Ariosto's _Rolando_ the
lady is the Queen, and the favoured lover the King's dwarf.
--Ed.

And with this farewell he went back again more quickly than he had come.

The unhappy woman made him no other reply than to put her hand to her
face; for being unable to hide her shame, she covered her eyes that she
might not see him who in spite of her deceit now perceived it only too
clearly.

"And so, ladies, if you are not minded to love perfectly, do not, I
pray you, seek to deceive and annoy an honest man for vanity's sake; for
hypocrites are rewarded as they deserve, and God favours those who love
with frankness."

"Truly," said Oisille, "you have kept us a proper tale for the end of