THE END OF THE FIRST NOVEL
II
The Story of the Tenson
"Plagues à Dieu ja la nueitz non falhis,
Ni 'l mieus amicx lonc de mi no s partis,
Ni la gayta jorn ni alba ne vis.
Oy Dieus! oy Dieus! de l' alba tan tost ve!"
THE SECOND NOVEL.—ELLINOR OF CASTILE, BEING
ENAMORED OF A HANDSOME PERSON, IS IN HER FLIGHT FROM
MARITAL OBLIGATIONS ASSISTED BY HER HUSBAND, AND
IS IN THE END BY HIM CONVINCED OF THE RATIONALITY
OF ALL ATTENDANT CIRCUMSTANCES.
The Story of the Tenson
n the year of grace 1265 (Nicolas begins), about the festival of Saint Peter ad Vincula, the Prince de Gâtinais came to Burgos. Before this he had lodged for three months in the district of Ponthieu; and the object of his southern journey was to assure the tenth Alphonso, then ruling in Castile, that the latter's sister Ellinor, now resident at Entréchat, was beyond any reasonable doubt the transcendent lady whose existence old romancers had anticipated, however cloudily, when they fabled in remote time concerning Queen Heleine of Sparta.
There was a postscript to his news, and a pregnant one. The world knew that the King of Leon and Castile desired to be King of Germany as well, and that at present a single vote in the Diet would decide between his claims and those of his competitor, Earl Richard of Cornwall. De Gâtinais chaffered fairly; he had a vote, Alphonso had a sister. So that, in effect—ohé, in effect, he made no question that his Majesty understood!