Ascending accordingly to the second-floor, he found there a fair lady reclining on a couch, who started up in affright at his appearance.

He hastened to reassure her, and to explain the purpose of his coming, and learned after a conversation with which I will not trouble your Majesty, though it was sufficiently diverting, that the lady had found the velvet knot in another part of the town, and had herself dropped it again in front of her own house.' 'Pourquoi ?' the king asked, interrupting me.
'The swain, sire,' I answered, 'was too much taken up with his own troubles to bear that in mind, even if he learned it.

But this delicacy did not save him from misconception, for as he descended from the lady's apartment he met her husband on the stairs.' 'Good!' the king exclaimed, rubbing his hands in glee.

'The husband!' And under cover of the gibe and the courtly laugh which followed it M.
de Bruhl's start of surprise passed unnoticed save by me.
'The husband,' I resumed, 'seeing a stranger descending his staircase, was for stopping him and learning the reason of his presence; But Dromio, whose mind was with Phyllida, refused to stop, and, evading his questions, hurried to the part of the town where the lady had told him she found the velvet knot.

Here, sire, at the corner of a lane running between garden-walls, he found a great house, barred and gloomy, and well adapted to the abductor's purpose.