OF SIX MEDIAEVAL WOMEN 



paler. His wife, made anxious by his melan- 

 choly and silence, and wondering whither he 

 went, had him watched, and soon discovered 

 the truth. Taking a varlet with her, she went 

 to the chapel, and there discovered the beautiful 

 maiden, looking like a new-blown rose, and at 

 once guessed the cause of her husband's sadness 

 and gloom. As she sat watching and weeping 

 out of sheer pity, a weasel ran from behind the 

 altar and passed over the body of Guilliadun, 

 and the varlet struck it with a stick and killed 

 it. Then its mate came in and walked round it 

 several times, and rinding that it could not rouse 

 it, made sign of great sorrow and ran out into 

 the wood, and returning with a red flower 

 between its teeth put it into the mouth of its 

 dead companion, which within an hour came 

 to life again. Guildeluec, seeing this, seized the 

 flower and laid it in the mouth of the maiden, 

 who after a short time sighed and opened her 

 eyes. Then she fold Guildeluec that she was 

 a king's daughter, and had been deceived by a 

 knight called Eliduc, whom she loved, and who 

 returned her love, but who had hidden from her 

 that he was already married. Guildeluec there- 

 upon made known to her who she was, and sent 

 at once for her husband. When he came, she 

 begged him to build a nunnery, and to allow 

 her to retire from the world, as she would fain 

 give herself to the service of God. When the 

 nunnery was ready, Guildeluec took the veil, 

 with some thirty nuns, of whom she became the 



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