but dealt with the gentleman whom he had bred as his son and loved as
his brother. He had bestowed honour and wealth upon him in his service,
and in return for all this the other sought his sister in marriage, a
thing which was in nowise fitting for him to do."

"Moreover," said Nomerfide, "it was no ordinary or wonted pleasure for a
lady of such high lineage to marry a gentleman servant for love. If the
death was extraordinary, the pleasure also was novel, and it was the
greater seeing that it had against it the opinions of all wise folk, for
it was the happiness of a loving heart with tranquillity of soul, since
God was in no wise offended by it And as for the death that you call
cruel, it seems to me that, since death is unavoidable, the swifter it
comes the better; for we know that it is a road by which all of us must
travel. I deem those fortunate who do not long linger on the outksirts
of death, but who take a speedy flight from all that can be termed
happiness in this world to the happiness that is eternal."

"What do you mean by the outskirts of death?" said Simontault.

"Such as have deep tribulation of spirit," replied Nomerfide, "such,
too, as have long been ill, and in their extreme bodily or spiritual
pain have come to think lightly of death and find its approach too slow,
such, I say, as these have passed through the outskirts of death and
will tell you of the hostels where they knew more lamentation than rest.
The lady of the story could not help losing her husband through death,
but her brother's wrath preserved her from seeing him a long time sick
or distressed in mind. And turning the gladness that she had had with
him to the service of Our Lord, she might well esteem herself happy."

"Do you make no account," said Longarine, "of the shame that she