Page:The Way of a Virgin.djvu/210

Rh "She must have connection with a man or she will die," answered the physician.

"Connection with a man?" said the other. "What is that?"

"It meaneth," continued the doctor, "that thou must mount on top of her, and speedly ram her three or four times, or more if thou canst; otherwise, the great heat which doth consume and kill her, will not be extinguished."

"That will be good for her?"

"She is a dead woman," answered the physician, "an thou do it not and do it quickly."

"By St. John!" said the other, "I will try what I can do."

With that he went home and found his wife, who was groaning and lamenting loudly.

"How art thou, beloved?" asked he.

"I die, beloved," answered she.

"Please God, thou shalt not die," said he. "I have conversed with the physician, who hath told me what medicine will cure thee."

And, as he spoke, he fell to undressing, and lay down beside his wife, and began to execute in clumsy fashion the orders he had received from the physician.

"What dost thou? asked his wife. "Wouldst kill me?"

"Nay, I am about to cure thee," said he. "The physician hath assured me."

And Nature instructing and the patient assisting, he performed upon her twice or thrice. When resting from his labours, much astonished at what had befallen, he asked his wife how she was.

"I am a little better than I was hitherto," she replied.