This lady, finding that her husband was now old, fell in love with a young clerk, called Nicholas.  When the President went to the court in the morning, Nicholas used to enter his room and take his place.  This was observed by a servant of the President’s who had served his master well for thirty years, and in his faithfulness he could not refrain from speaking to him of the matter.

The President, being a prudent man, would not lightly believe the story, but said that the servant wished to create contention between himself and his wife.  If the matter, said he, were really as the servant declared, he could easily prove it to him, and if proof were not given he would believe that it was a lie contrived in order to destroy the love existing between himself and his wife.  The servant promised that he would show him the truth of what he had said, and one morning, as soon as the President was gone to the court and Nicholas had entered the room, he sent one of his fellow-servants to tell his master to come, while he himself remained watching at the door lest Nicholas should come out.

As soon as the President saw the sign that was made to him by one of his servants, he pretended to be ill, left the court and hastened home.  Here he found his old servant at the door, and was assured by him that Nicholas was inside and had only just gone in.

“Do not stir from this door,” said his lord to him, “for, as you are aware, there is no other means of going into or out of the room, except indeed by way of a little closet of which I myself alone carry the key.”

The President entered the room and found his wife and Nicholas in bed together.  The clerk, clad in nothing but his shirt, threw himself at his feet to entreat forgiveness, while his wife began to weep.

Then said the President—­

“Though you have done a deed the enormity of which you may yourself judge, I am yet unwilling that my house should be dishonoured on your account, and the daughters I have had by you made to suffer.  Wherefore,” he continued, “cease to weep, I command you, and hearken to what I am going to do; and do you, Nicholas, hide yourself in my closet and make not a single sound.”

When this was done, he opened the door, and calling his old servant, said to him—­

“Did you not assure me that you would show me Nicholas in company with my wife?  Trusting in your word, I came hither in danger of killing my poor wife, and I have found nothing of what you told me.  I have searched the whole room, as I will show you.”

So saying, he caused his servant to look under the beds and in every quarter.  The servant, finding nothing, was greatly astonished, and said to his master—­

“The devil must have made away with him, for I saw him go in, and he did not come out through the door.  But I can see that he is not here.”

Then said his master to him—­