uld the husband have awaked, had it
not been that the head of his wife reclined on his breast, and owing to
the assault of this stallion, gave him such a bump that he quickly woke.

He thought at first that his wife was dreaming, but as her dream
continued, and he heard the waggoner moving about and breathing hard,
he gently put down his hand, and found what ravage the stallion of the
waggoner was making in his warren;--at which, as he loved his wife, he
was not well content. He soon made the waggoner with draw, and said to
him,

"What are you doing, you wicked rascal? You must be mad to attack my
wife in that way. Don't do it again! Morbleu! I declare to you that if
she had woke just now when your machine was pushing her, I don't know
what she would have done; but I feel certain, as I know her well, that
she would have scratched your face, and torn out your eyes with her
nails. You don't know what she will do when she loses her temper, and
there is nothing in the world which puts her out more. Take it away, I
beg, for your own sake."

The waggoner, in a few words, declared that it was unintentional, and,
as day was breaking, he rose and took his leave and went away with his
cart.

You may fancy that the good woman on whom the waggoner made this attempt
was displeased in another way than her husband fancied; and afterwards
it was said that the waggoner met her in the proper way: but I would not
believe it or credit the report.

*****

STORY THE EIGHTH -- TIT FOR TAT. [8]

By Monseigneur de la Roche

_Of a youth of Picardy who lived at Brussels, and made his master's
daughter pregnant, and for that cause left and came back to Picardy to
be married. And soon after his departure the girl's mother perceived the
condition of her daughter, and the girl confessed in what state she was;
so her mother sent her to the Picardian to tell him that he must undo
that which he had done. And how his new bride refused then to sleep with
him, and of the story she told him, whereupon he immediately left her
and returned to his first love, and married her._

In the city of Brussels, where a good many adventures have happened in
our time, there lived not long ago a young man of Picardy, who served
his master well and faithfully for a long period. And amongst other
services which he did the said master was this; that by his civil
speech, bearing, and courtesy he so gained the graces of his master's
daughter, that he lay wi