The chief citizens of Mons came one Saturday, to beg him let me go to Mons, where they wished to entertain me with a banquet, for their love of him.  He told them he would urge me to go, which he did; but I said such great honour was not for me, moreover they could not feast me better than he did.  Again he urged me, with much affection, to go there, to please him; and I agreed.  The next day, they came to fetch me with two carriages:  and when we got to Mons, we found the dinner ready, and the chief men of the town, with their ladies, who attended me with great devotion.  We sat down to dinner, and they put me at the top of the table, and all drank to me, and to the health of M. le Marquis d’Auret:  saying he was happy, and they with him, to have had me to put him on his legs again; and truly the whole company were full of honour and love for him.  After dinner, they brought me back to the Chateau d’Auret, where M. le Marquis was awaiting me; who affectionately welcomed me, and would hear what we had done at our banquet; and I told him all the company had drunk many times to his health.

In six weeks he began to stand a little on crutches, and to put on fat and get a good natural colour.  He would go to Beaumont, his brother’s place; and was taken there in a carrying-chair, by eight men at a time.  And the peasants in the villages through which we passed, knowing it was M. le Marquis, fought who should carry him, and would have us drink with them; but it was only beer.  Yet I believe if they had possessed wine, even hippocras, they would have given it to us with a will.  And all were right glad to see him, and all prayed God for him.  When we came to Beaumont, everybody came out to meet us and pay their respects to him, and prayed God bless him and keep him in good health.  We came to the chateau, and found there more than fifty gentlemen whom M. le Duc d’Ascot had invited to come and be happy with his brother; and he kept open house three whole days.  After dinner, the gentlemen used to tilt at the ring and play with the foils, and were full of joy at the sight of M. d’Auret, for they had heard he would never leave his bed or be healed of his wound.  I was always at the upper end of the table, and everybody drank to him and to me, thinking to make me drunk, which they could not; for I drank only as I always do.

A few days later, we went back; and I took my leave of Mdme. la Duchesse d’Ascot, who drew a diamond from her finger, and gave it me in gratitude for my good care of her brother:  and the diamond was worth more than fifty crowns.  M. d’Auret was ever getting better, and was walking all alone on crutches round his garden.  Many times I asked him to let me go back to Paris, telling him his physician and his surgeon could do all that was now wanted for his wound:  and to make a beginning to get away from him, I asked him to let me go and see the town of Antwerp.  To this he agreed at once, and told his steward to escort me there, with two pages.