n, without sending either away. She
warned each earnestly that he must come to her in the most secret
manner, in order that he should not be perceived.

(*) i.e. plenty of tricks or resources.

You must know that when the first-comer had his turn that he did not
forget to complain as before, and threatened to kill his rival should he
meet him. Also at his last meeting, he pretended to be more angry than
he really was, and made very light of his rival, who, according to him,
was as good as dead if he were caught with her. But the cunning and
double-dealing jade had so many deceitful speeches ready that her
excuses sounded as true as the Gospel. For she believed that, whatever
doubts and suspicions they had, the affair would never really be found
out, and that she was capable of satisfying them both.

It was otherwise in the end, for the last-comer, whom she was greatly
afraid to lose, one day read her a sharp lesson. In fact he told
her that he would never see her again, and did not for a long time
afterwards, at which she was much displeased and dissatisfied.

And in order to embarrass and annoy her still more, he sent to her a
gentleman, a confidential friend, to point out how disgusted he was to
find he had a rival, and to tell her, in short, that if she did not send
away this rival, that he would never see her again as long as he lived.

As you have already heard, she would not willingly give up his
acquaintance, and there was no male or female saint by whom she did
not perjure herself in explaining away her love passages with her other
lover, and at last, quite beside herself, she said to the squire;

"I will show your master that I love him; give me your knife."

Then, when she had the knife, she took off her headdress, and with the
knife cut off all her hair--not very evenly.

The squire, who knew the facts of the case, took this present, and said
he would do his duty and give it to his master, which he soon did. The
last-comer received the parcel, which he undid, and found the hair of
his mistress, which was very long and beautiful. He did not feel much at
ease until he had sent for his friend and revealed to him the message he
had sent, and the valuable present she had given him in return, and then
he showed the beautiful long tresses.

"I fancy," said he, "I must be very high in her good graces. You can
scarcely expect that she would do as much for you."

"By St. John!" said the other, "this is s