s; for he pretended to be very sick of a chill, and
said to his wife;

"My dear helpmate, come here! I am as ill as I can be; I must go to bed,
and I beg of you to make all the servants go to bed too, in order that
there may be no noise or disturbance, and then come to our chamber."

The worthy woman, who was much vexed at her husband's illness, did as
she was ordered, and took fair sheets and warmed them, and put them over
her husband after he was in bed. And when he had been well warmed for a
long time, he said.

"My dear, that will suffice. I am well enough now, thanks be to God and
to you for the trouble you have taken; and I beg of you to come and lie
down by my side."

She only desired her husband's health and repose, and did as she
was desired, and went to sleep as quickly as possible. As soon as he
perceived she was asleep, he slipped quietly out of bed, and went to the
servant's bed, where he was well received, and broke so many lances that
he was tired and worn out, and dropped off to sleep in her fair arms.

It often happens that when we go to bed vexed or melancholy we are
easily awakened,--indeed that may be the cause of our waking, and so it
happened to the wife. And as she took great care of her husband, she put
out her hand to touch him, and discovered that he was not in the bed;
and on feeling the pillow and the place where he had been lying, she
found that they were cold, and that he had been out of bed a long time.

Then, in despair, she jumped out of bed and put on a chemise and a
petticoat, and said to herself;

"Idle and worthless wretch that you are, you have much to reproach
yourself with, for by your neglect you have let your husband die. Alas!
why did I come to bed to-night and fall asleep; O Virgin Mary! I pray
that nothing has happened to him through my fault, or I shall deem
myself guilty of his death."

After these regrets and lamentations, she went off to seek a light, and
in order that the servant-maid might help her to find her lost husband,
she went to her room to arouse her, and there found the happy pair,
asleep locked in each other's arms, and it seemed that they must have
worked well that night, for they were not awakened by her coming into
the room or by the light she carried.

She was glad that her husband was not as ill as she had feared or
expected; and went to seek her children and all the servants of the
household, and brought them to see the couple, and asked them i