The Lord and his Lady were lodged on one side of the house, and she whom the gentleman loved more than himself on the other.  Her apartment was so well arranged, tapestried above and matted below,(4) that it was impossible to perceive a trap-door which was by the side of her bed, and which opened into a room beneath, that was occupied by the gentleman’s mother.(5)

4 In most palaces and castles at this period the walls were covered with tapestry and the floors with matting.  This remark is necessary to enable one to understand Bonnivet’s stratagem.—­D.

     5 Philippa de Montmorency, second wife of William Gouffier,
     Lord of Boissy, who was Bonnivet’s father (Anselme’s
     Histoire Genealogique, vol. vii. p. 880).—­L.

She being an old lady, somewhat troubled by rheum, and fearful lest the cough she had should disturb the Princess, made exchange of chambers with her son.  In the evening this old lady was wont to bring sweetmeats to the Princess for her collation,(6) at which the gentleman was present; and being greatly beloved by her brother and intimate with him, he was also suffered to be present when she rose in the morning and when she retired to bed, on which occasions he always found reasons for an increase of his affection.

     6 At that period the collation, as the supper was called,
     was served at seven in the evening, shortly before the
     curfew.—­B.  J.

Thus it came to pass that one evening he made the Princess stay up very late, until at last, being desirous of sleep, she bade him leave her.  He then went to his own room, and there put on the handsomest and best-scented shirt he had, and a nightcap so well adorned that nothing was lacking in it.  It seemed, to him, as he looked at himself in his mirror, that no lady in the world could deny herself to one of his comeliness and grace.  He therefore promised himself a happy issue to his enterprise, and so lay down on his bed, where in his desire and sure hope of exchanging it for one more honourable and pleasant, he looked to make no very long stay.

As soon as he had dismissed all his attendants he rose to fasten the door after them; and for a long time he listened to hear whether there were any sound in the room of the Princess, which was above his own.  When he had made sure that all was quiet, he wished to begin his pleasant task, and little by little let down the trap-door, which was so excellently wrought, and so well covered with cloth, that it made not the least noise.  Then he ascended into the room and came to the bedside of his lady, who was just falling asleep.