Page:The Way of a Virgin.djvu/102

Rh spoke sooth, when they avouched that it was so sweet a thing to serve God; for certes, I remember me not to have ever done aught that afforded me such pleasance and delight as putting the devil in hell; wherefore methinketh that whoso applieth himself unto aught other than God His service is a fool."

Accordingly, she came oftimes to Rustico and said to him:

"Father mine, I came here to serve God and not to abide idle; let us go put the devil in hell." Which doing, she said whiles:

"Rustico, I know not why the devil fleeth away from hell; for, an he abode there as willingly as hell received him and holdeth him, he would never come forth therefrom."

The girl, then, on this wise often inviting Rustico and exhorting him to the service of God, so took the bombast out of his boublet that he felt cold what time another had sweated; wherefore he fell to telling her that the devil was not to be chastised nor put into hell, save whenas he should lift up his head for pride.

"And we," added he, "by God's grace, have so baffled him that he prayeth our Lord to suffer him abide in peace;" and on this wise he for awhile imposed silence on her.

However, when she saw that he required her not of putting the devil in hell, she said to him one day:

"Rustico, an thy devil be chastened and give thee no more annoy, my hell letteth me not be; wherefore thou wilt do well to aid me with thy devil in abating the raging of my hell, even as with