Page:Margaret of Angoulême, Queen of Navarre (Robinson 1886).djvu/186

Rh woman, very pious, came to the chapel as he lay fast asleep; and, after she had said her prayers, holding a candle in her hand, she meant to fix it against the sepulchre; and, finding nearest her the sleeping man, she would have stuck it to his forehead, behaving him a stone image; but against this stone the wax would not hold. The good woman, thinking it was because the image was so chill, held the flame against his brow to make it warm enough for her candle to stick there; but the image, which was not insensible, began to call out; at which the woman, nearly out of her mind with fear, took to crying, "A miracle! a miracle!" and so loud that all who were in the church began to run, some to ring the bells and some to see the miracle. And the good woman led them to see the image which had moved, which gave occasion for laughter to many present; but several priests could not content themselves so easily, for they had hoped in their hearts to turn this sepulchre to good account and make money out of it.

"Look you, therefore, ladies, to what saints you give your candles."

"'Tis a great thing to know," said Hircan, "that, whatever they set about, women always must do wrong."

"Is it doing wrong," said Nomerfide, "to carry candles to a sepulchre?"

"Yes," said Hircan, "when they set fire to men's foreheads; for no good thing can call itself good when it is done badly. Fancy! the poor woman thought she was making God a fine present of her little candle!"

"God does not regard," said Oisille, "the value of