ch bereft me of speech, and only this very night for the first time
do I feel it restored to me, wherefore I praise God as most I may.'
The lady believed this and asked him what he meant by saying that he
had to serve nine. Masetto told her how the case stood, whereby she
perceived that she had no nun but was far wiser than herself; but,
like a discreet woman as she was, she resolved to take counsel with
her nuns to find some means of arranging the matter, without letting
Masetto go, so the convent might not be defamed by him. Accordingly,
having openly confessed to one another that which had been secretly
done of each, they all of one accord, with Masetto's consent, so
ordered it that the people round about believed speech to have been
restored to him, after he had long been mute, through their prayers
and by the merits of the saint in whose name the convent was
intituled, and their bailiff being lately dead, they made Masetto
bailiff in his stead and apportioned his toils on such wise that he
could endure them. Thereafter, albeit he began upon them monikins
galore, the thing was so discreetly ordered that nothing took vent
thereof till after the death of the abbess, when Masetto began to grow
old and had a mind to return home rich. The thing becoming known,
enabled him lightly to accomplish his desire, and thus Masetto, having
by his foresight contrived to employ his youth to good purpose,
returned in his old age, rich and a father, without being at the pains
or expense of rearing children, to the place whence he had set out
with an axe about his neck, avouching that thus did Christ entreat
whoso set horns to his cap."

[Footnote 152: Hortyard (_orto_) is the old form of orchard, properly
an enclosed tract of land in which fruit, vegetables and potherbs are
cultivated for use, _i.e._ the modern kitchen garden and orchard in
one, as distinguished from the pleasaunce or flower garden
(_giardino_).]

[Footnote 153: _Giardino_, _i.e._ flower-garden.]

[Footnote 154: Lit. broke the string of.]

THE SECOND STORY

[Day the Third]

A HORSEKEEPER LIETH WITH THE WIFE OF KING AGILULF, WHO,
BECOMING AWARE THEREOF, WITHOUT WORD SAID, FINDETH HIM OUT
AND POLLETH HIM; BUT THE POLLED MAN POLLETH ALL HIS FELLOWS
ON LIKE WISE AND SO ESCAPETH ILL HAP

The end of Filostrato's story, whereat whiles the ladies had some
little blushed and other whiles laughed, being come, it pleased the
queen that Pampi