astonished that you had so little confidence in me,
considering what I know to be really the case between you and her. And
in order that you may understand that I know all, let me tell you that
I saw you enter her house at such and such an hour, and indeed no longer
ago than yesterday I had an eye upon you, and from a place where I was,
I saw you arrive--you know whether I speak the truth."

When the first-comer heard this accusation, he did not know what to say,
and he was forced to confess what he would have willingly concealed,
and which he thought no one knew but himself; and he told the last-comer
that he would not conceal the fact that he was in love, but begged him
not to make it known.

"And what would you say," asked the other, "if you found you had a
companion?"

"Companion?" said he; "What companion? In a love affair? I never thought
of it."

"By St. John!" said the last-comer, "I ought not to keep you longer in
suspense--it is I. And since I see that you are in love with a woman
who is not worth it, and if I had not more pity on you than you have on
yourself I should leave you in your folly, but I cannot suffer such a
wench to deceive you and me so long."

If any one was astonished at this news it was the first-comer who
believed himself firmly established in the good graces of the wench, and
that she loved no one but him. He did not know what to say or think, and
for a long time could not speak a word. When at last he spoke, he said,

"By Our Lady! they have given me the onion (*) and I never suspected it.
I was easily enough deceived. May the devil carry away the wench, just
as she is!"

(*) i.e. "they have made a fool of me."

"She has fooled the two of us," said the last-comer;

"at least she has begun well,--but we must even fool her."

"Do so I beg," said the first. "St. Anthony's fire burn me if ever I see
the jade again."

"You know," said the second, "that we go to her each in turn. Well, the
next time that you go, you must tell her that you well know that I am
in love with her, and that you have seen me enter her house at such an
hour, and dressed in such a manner, and that, by heaven, if ever you
find me there again you will kill me stone dead, whatever may happen to
you. I will say the same thing about you, and we shall then see what she
will say and do, and then we shall know how to act."

"Well said, and just what I would wish," said the first.

As it was arranged, so was