when he saw her, blushed, and returned her salutation,
and said to her;

"You are very welcome! What brings you here at this time, my dear?"

"My mother," she replied, "sent me to you, and God knows that you have
caused me much upbraiding. She charged and commanded me that I should
tell you that you must undo that which you have done, or, if you do not,
I am never to go back to her."

The other, when he heard this, to get rid of her as soon as he could,
spoke as follows.

"My dear, I will willingly do that which you ask and your mother
requires me to do, for it is very reasonable, but at this moment I
cannot be seen talking to you. I beg of you to have patience for to-day,
and to-morrow I will attend to your request."

With that she was content, and then he caused her to be taken and put
in a fair chamber, and commanded that she should be well-treated, as she
deserved to be, after the great trouble and difficulty she had had in
seeking him out.

Now you must know that the bride had kept her eyes open, and when she
saw her husband talking to a woman big with child, she had misgivings,
and was by no means satisfied, but much troubled and vexed in mind.

She nursed her wrath, and said nothing until her husband came to bed.
And when he would have cuddled and kissed her, and done his proper duty
as a husband, and so earned his "caudle", (*) she turned herself first
on one side and then on the other, so that he could not attain his
purpose, at which he was greatly astonished and angry, and said to her,

(*) It was the custom in the Middle Ages to bring in the
middle of the wedding night, a caudle of hot milk, soup, or
spiced wine to the married couple.

"Why do you do that, my dear?"

"I have good cause," she replied, "for I see from your acts that you do
not care for me. There are many others you like better than me."

"By my faith," said he, "there is no woman in the world I love better
than you."

"Ah!" she said, "did I not see you after dinner holding discourse for a
long time with a woman who was in the room! I saw you only too plainly,
and you cannot excuse yourself."

"By our Lady," he replied, "you have no cause to be jealous about her,"
and with that he told her that it was the daughter of his master at
Brussels, and how he had lain with her and made her pregnant, and on
that account he had left the place; and how also after his departure,
she became so big with child that it was percei