Chapter XV

Chapter XV.—The Woman’s Story.

Then the woman, hearing this welcome promise, began to say:  “It is neither easy of belief, nor do I think it necessary to tell, what is my extraction, or what is my country.  It is enough p. 160 only to explain the cause of my grief, why I have rendered my hands powerless by gnawing them.  Being born of noble parents, and having become the wife of a suitably powerful man, I had two twin sons, and after them one other.  But my husband’s brother was vehemently enflamed with unlawful love towards me; and as I valued chastity above all things, and would neither consent to so great wickedness, nor wished to disclose to my husband the baseness of his brother, I considered whether in any way I could escape unpolluted, and yet not set brother against brother, and so bring the whole race of a noble family into disgrace.  I made up my mind, therefore, to leave my country with my two twins, until the incestuous love should subside, which the sight of me was fostering and inflaming; and I thought that our other son should remain to comfort his father to some extent.