in the end he received a rating that he had not expected, for the Prince
assured him that, if ever he went to the lady's room again, he would
tell the King of it, and have him banished the Court.

"I pray you, ladies, judge whether it had not been better for this poor
lady to have spoken freely to him who did her the honour of loving and
esteeming her, instead of leading him by her dissimulation to prove her
in a way that brought her so much shame."

"She knew," said Geburon, "that if she confessed the truth she would
wholly lose his favour, and this she on no account desired to do."

"It seems to me," said Longarine, "that when she had chosen a husband
to her liking, she ought not to have feared the loss of any other man's
affection."

"I am sure," said Parlamente, "that if she had dared to reveal her
marriage, she would have been quite content with her husband; but she
wished to hide it until her daughters were wed, and so she would not
abandon so good a means of concealment."

"It was not for that reason," said Saffredent, "but because the ambition
of women is so great that they are never satisfied with having only
one lover. I have heard that the discreetest of them are glad to have
three--one, namely, for honour, one for profit, and one for delight.
Each of the three thinks himself loved the best, but the first two are
as servants to the last."

"You speak," said Oisille, "of such women as have neither love nor
honour."