ho
loved her as much as she did him, but to find an opportunity to come
together amorously was difficult, but it was at last found by the
ingenuity of the lady, in the manner I will describe.

Her husband was a goldsmith, and so greedy of gain that he would never
sleep an hour in which he could work.

Every day he would rise an hour or two before dawn, and let his wife
take a long rest till eight or nine o'clock, or as long as she pleased.

This amorous dame seeing how diligent her husband was, and that he rose
early every day to hammer and work, determined to employ with the cure
the time during which she was neglected by her husband, and arranged
that at such and such an hour her lover could visit her without her
husband's knowledge, for the cure's house stood next to hers.

This happy expedient was proposed to the cure, who gladly accepted
it, for it seemed to him that his amour could be carried on easily and
secretly. So as soon as the proposal was made it was executed, and thus
they continued to live for a long time; but fortune--envious perhaps of
their happiness and sweet enjoyment--willed that their amours should be
unfortunately discovered in the manner you will hear.

This goldsmith had an assistant, who was in love with his master's wife,
and very jealous of her, and he perceived the cure often talking to the
lady, and he guessed what was the matter. But he could not imagine how
and when they met, unless it was that the cure came in the morning when
he and his master were in the workshop. These suspicions so ran in his
head that he watched and listened in order that he might find out the
truth, and he watched so well that he learned the facts of the case, for
one morning he saw the cure come, soon after the goldsmith had left the
chamber, and enter and close the door after him.

When he was quite sure that his suspicions were confirmed, he informed
his master of his discovery in these terms.

"Master, I serve you, not only that I may earn your money, eat your
bread, and do your work well and honestly, but also to protect your
honour and preserve it from harm. If I acted otherwise I should not be
worthy to be your servant. I have long had a suspicion that our cure was
doing you a grievous wrong, but I said nothing to you until I was sure
of the facts. That you may not suppose I am trumping up an idle story, I
would beg of you to let us go now to your chamber, for I am sure that we
shall find him there."