"I don't object," he replied. "I have long since pardoned him, and I
will give him absolution into the bargain."

"You could not say more," rejoined Montbleru, "and by my oath I am
greatly obliged to you for having pardoned the thief who stole your
shirts, as far as I personally am concerned, for I am the thief who
stole your shirts at Antwerp. So I profit by your free pardon, and thank
you for it, as I ought to do."

When Montbleru confessed this theft, and had been forgiven by all the
party as you have heard, it need not be asked if Masters Ymbert, Roland,
and Jehan Le Tourneur were astonished, for they had never suspected
that it was Montbleru who had played that trick upon them, and they
reproached him playfully with the theft. But he, knowing his company,
excused himself cleverly for having played such a joke upon them,
and told them that it was his custom to take whatever he found
unprotected,--especially with people like them.

They only laughed, but asked him how he had managed to effect the theft,
and he told them the whole story, and said also that he had made five
crowns out of his booty, after which they asked him no more.

*****

STORY THE SIXTY-FOURTH -- THE OVER-CUNNING CURE. [64]

By Michault De Changy.

_Of a priest who would have played a joke upon a gelder named
Trenche-couille, but, by the connivance of his host, was himself
castrated._

There formerly lived in this country, in a place that I have a good
reason for not mentioning (if any should recognise it, let him be silent
as I am) a cure who was over-fond of confessing his female parishioners.
In fact, there was not one who had not had to do with him, especially
the young ones--for the old he did not care.

When he had long carried on this holy life and virtuous exercise, and
his fame had spread through all the country round, he was punished
in the way that you will hear, by one of his parishioners, to whom,
however, he had done nothing concerning his wife.

He was one day at dinner, and enjoying himself, at the inn kept by his
parishioner, and as they were in the midst of their dinner, there came
a man named Trenchecouille, whose business it was to cut cattle, pull
teeth, and other matters, and who had come to the inn for one of these
purposes.

The host received him well, and asked him to sit down, and, without
being much pressed, he sat down with the cure and the others, to eat.

The cure, who was a great joker, began