The gentleman, who had promised his master to win her, brought him back this reply in wondrous anger, and counselled him to persevere in every possible way, telling him that it was not to his honour to be unable to win a woman of her sort.

The young Prince was unwilling to employ any means but such as honour enjoins, and was also afraid that if the affair made any noise, and so came to his mother’s ears, she would be greatly angered with him.  He therefore durst make no attempt, until at last the gentleman proposed to him so simple a plan that he could already fancy her to be in his power.  In order to carry it into execution he spoke to the butler; and he, being anxious to serve his master in any way that might be, begged his wife and sister-in-law one day to go and visit their vintages at a house he had near the forest.  And this they promised to do.

When the day was come, he informed the Prince, who resolved to go thither alone with the gentleman, and caused his mule to be secretly held in readiness, that they might set out at the proper time.  But God willed it that his mother should that day be garnishing a most beautiful cabinet, (2) and needed all her children with her to help her, and thus the young Prince lingered there until the hour was past.

There was, however, no hindrance to the departure of the butler, who had brought his sister-in-law to his house, riding behind him, (3) and had made his wife feign sickness, so that when they were already on horseback she had come and said that she could not go with them.  But now, seeing that the hour at which the Prince should have come was gone by, he said to his sister-in-law—­

“I think we may now return to the town.”

2 The French word here is cabinet, which some English translators have rendered as “little room.”  We think, however, with the Bibliophile Jacob, that the allusion is to an article of furniture, such as we ourselves still call a cabinet in England, though in France the word has virtually lost that sense.—­Ed.

3 The MSS. do not say whether she rode on a pillion, or simply bestrode the horse.  This last fashion was still common at this period and long afterwards, even among women of high degree.  See, for instance, several of the enamels in the Louvre, notably one which depicts Henry II. of France with Diana of Poitiers riding behind him.  The practice is also referred to in a sixteenth century ballad.  “La Superfluity des habitz des Dames” (Anciennes Poesies Francaises.  Bib.  Elzev. 1858, p. 308).—­M.

“What is there to hinder us from doing so?” asked Frances.

“Why,” said the butler, “I was waiting here for my lord, who had promised me that he would come.”

When his sister-in-law heard this wickedness, she replied—­

“Do not wait for him, brother, for I know that he will not come to-day.”