him.

Many times did the damsel so show herself, although that had not
previously been her custom, and though she was pleasant to gaze upon,
and her youthful mind was filled with thoughts of love, the wise clerk
never perceived her, for in walking he glanced neither to the right nor
left.

This plan of the damsel's was not as successful as she imagined it would
be. She was very sorrowful, and the more she thought of the clerk, the
more ardent did her desires become. At last, after a number of plans had
suggested themselves to her, and which for the sake of brevity I pass
over, she determined to send her little servant-maid to him. So she
called her, and ordered her to go and ask for such-an-one,--that is to
say, the learned clerk--and when she had found him, to tell him to come
in haste to the house of such a damsel, the wife of so-and-so; and if he
should ask what the damsel wanted, she was to reply that she knew not,
but only knew that he was urgently required to come at once.

The little girl learned her message, and went forth to seek him; and she
was soon shown a house where he was at dinner with a great company of
his friends, and other people of high degree.

The girl entered the house, and saluting all the company, asked for the
clerk, and delivered her message properly. The good clerk, who had been
acquainted since his youth with the merchant of whom the girl spoke, and
knew his house as he did his own, but was not aware that he was married
or who was his wife, imagined that during the husband's absence, the
wife had need of advice on some weighty matter, for he knew that the
husband was away, and had no suspicion of the cause of his invitation.
He said to the girl;

"My dear, go and tell your mistress that as soon as dinner is over I
will come to her."

The messenger duly delivered these words, and God knows how she was
received by her mistress. When she heard that the clerk, her lover,
would come, she was more joyful than ever woman was, and owing to the
great joy she felt at having the clerk in the house, she trembled and
did not know what to do. She caused the house to be well swept, and fair
herbage to be spread in her chamber, covered the bed and the couch with
rich tapestry and embroidery, and dressed and adorned herself with her
most precious belongings.

Then she waited a little time, which seemed to her marvellous long on
account of the great desire she had, and so impatient was she for his