The young prince of Spain was now fifteen years old, and his custom was
to wander about the rooms and passages and stairways of the castle. But
chiefly was he to be found prowling around the women's quarters,
trying to pick a quarrel with one of the pages, who themselves were
wont to lurk on the look out, like cats, in the corridors; while
others, again, out in the courtyard, would stand singing some tender
ballad, nose in air. When the young prince heard one singing thus,
he would show himself at one of the windows, and the heart of that
poor page would be stricken with fear as he saw that white face there,
instead of the gentle eyes of his beloved.
Now among the Ladies of the Court there was a gentle dame from Dudzeel
near by Damme in Flanders. Fair-fleshed she was, like fine ripe fruit,
and marvellously beautiful, for she had green eyes and reddish hair
all wavy and gleaming gold. And of a gay humour was she, and of an
ardent complexion, nor did she make any effort to conceal her taste
for that fortunate lord to whom for the time being she was pleased
to grant the freedom of the fair estate of her love. Such a one there
was even now, handsome and proud, and she loved him well. Every day,
at a certain hour, she went to find him--a thing which Philip was
not long in finding out.
So, one day, sitting himself down on a bench that stood against a
window, he lay in wait for her, and there she saw him as she passed
by, with her bright eyes and her mouth half open, all meet for love
and fresh from her bath, with the gear of her dress of yellow brocade
swinging about her as she stepped along. Without rising from his seat,
Philip accosted her.
"Madame," says he, "could you not spare a moment?"
Restive as some eager mare, stayed in her course towards the gallant
stallion that is neighing for her in the field, the lady made answer:
"All here must needs obey the royal will of your Highness."
"Then sit you down by my side," said the Prince. And gazing at her
lewdly, harshly, cunningly, he spake again:
"I would have you recite to me the Pater Noster in Flemish. They
taught it me once, but I no longer remember it."
The poor lady did as she was bid; and then the Prince commanded her
to say it all over again, but more slowly. And so on, and so on,
until she had recited it ten times over. After that he began to speak
flatteringly to her, praising her beautiful hair, her fresh complexion,
and her bright eyes. But he dared not to say a word concerning her
lovely shoulders or her rounded throat, or of aught else beside.
When at last she was beginning to hope that she might be able to
get away, and was already scanning anxiously the courtyard where her
lord was awaiting her, the Prince demanded of her if she could rightly
tell him what were the several virtues of woman? She answered nothing,
fearing that she might say something to displease him. He then answered
for her, setting the matter forth in this wise:
"The virtues of woman are these: chastity, regard for her own honour,
and a modest manner of life." And he counselled her, therefore,
that she should dress decently and should always be careful to hide
those things which were meet to be hidden. The lady nodded assent,
saying that for His Hyperborean Highness she would certainly take
care to cover herself with ten bear-skins rather than with a single
length of muslin.
Having put him to shame by this answer, she made off gladly.
But in Philip's heart the fire of youth was alight--not the fiery glow
that dares the souls of the brave to lofty deeds, but a dark fire from
hell itself, the fire of Satan. And it flamed in his grey eyes like
the beam of a winter's moon shining down upon a charnel-house. And
it burned within him cruelly....