ved, and then she had
confessed to her mother who had seduced her, and her mother had sent her
to him that he might undo that which he had done, or else she must never
return home.

When the young man had finished his story, his wife who had been struck
by one portion of it, said;

"What? Do you say that she told her mother you had slept with her?"

"Yes," he said; "she made it all known to her."

"On my word!" she replied, "then she proved herself very stupid. The
waggoner at our house slept with me more than forty nights, but you
don't suppose that I breathed a word of that to my mother. I took good
care to say nothing."

"Truly," quoth he, "the devil takes care that the gibbet is not cheated.
(**) Go back to your waggoner if you like; for I care nothing for you."

(**) In other words, we are punished for our ill-deeds.

Thereupon he arose and went to the woman he had seduced, and left the
other one; and when the morning came and this news was noised abroad,
God knows that it amused many and displeased many others, especially the
father and mother of the bride.

*****

[Illustration: 09.jpg THE HUSBAND PANDAR TO HIS OWN WIFE]

STORY THE NINTH -- THE HUSBAND PANDAR TO HIS OWN WIFE. [9]

By Monseigneur

_Of a knight of Burgundy, who was marvellously amorous of one of his
wife's waiting women, and thinking to sleep with her, slept with his
wife who was in the bed of the said tire-woman. And how he caused, by
his order, another knight, his neighbour to sleep with the said woman,
believing that it was really the tirewoman--and afterwards he was not
well pleased, albeit that the lady knew nothing, and was not aware, I
believe, that she had had to do with aught other than her own husband._

In order to properly continue these stories, the incidents of which
happen in divers places and under various circumstances, there should
not be omitted the tale of a gentle knight of Burgundy, who lived in
a castle of his own that was fair and strong, and well provided with
retainers and artillery, as his condition required.

He fell in love with a fair damsel of his household, who was chief
tire-woman to his wife, and his great affection for her took such
hold upon him that he could not be happy without her, and was always
conversing with her and beseeching her, and, in short, life seemed no
good without her, so filled with love of her was he.

The girl, being chaste and prudent, wished to keep her hon