The gallant, thinking it was the servant, followed him, the door was opened gently, and he was conducted into a chamber in which there was a large bin, which the merchant unlocked and made the young man enter, that he should not be discovered if the husband returned. "My mistress will come and talk to you and let you out," added the merchant as he turned the key in the lock.
The gallant suffered all this for the sake of what was to follow, and because he believed that the other spoke the truth.
Then the merchant started off at once as quickly as he could, and went to the cousin and his wife, and said to them:
"The rat is caught; but now we must consider what to do."
The cousin, and more particularly his wife--for there was no love lost between the two women--were very glad to hear this, and said that it would be best for him to show the gallant to all his wife"s relations in order that they might know how she conducted herself.
This being determined on, the merchant went to the house of his wife"s father and mother, and told them that if ever they wished to see their daughter alive they must come at once to his house.
They jumped up at once, and, whilst they were preparing, he also went off to two of her brothers and her sisters, and told them the same thing. Then he took them all to the cousin"s house, and related the whole history, and how the rat had been caught.
Now you must know what the gallant did in the bin all the time, until he was luckily released. The damsel, who wondered greatly that her lover did not come, went backwards and forwards to the door, to see if he were coming. The young man, who heard her pa.s.s close to him without ever speaking to him, began to thump with his fist on the side of the bin.
The damsel heard it, and was greatly frightened; nevertheless she asked who was there, and the gallant replied;
"Alas, my dearest love, I am dying here of heat and doubt, for I am much surprised that I have been shut in here, and that no one has yet come to me."
"Virgin Mary! who can have put you there, my dear?"
"By my oath I know not," he replied; "but your varlet came to me and told me that you had asked him to bring me into the house, and that I was to get into this bin, that the husband might not find me if by chance he should come back to-night."
"Ah!" said she, "by my life that must have been my husband. I am a lost woman; and our secret has been discovered."
"Do you know what is to be done?" he said. "In the first place you must let me out, or I will break everything, for I can no longer endure being shut up."
"By my oath!" said the damsel, "I have not the key; and if you break through, I am undone, for my husband will say that I did it to save you."
Finally, the damsel searched about, and found a lot of old keys, amongst which was one that delivered the poor captive. As soon as he was out, he tumbled the lady, to show her what a grudge he had against her, which she bore patiently. After that her lover would have left her, but the damsel hung round his neck, and told him that if he went away like that, she would be as much dishonoured as though he had broken out of the bin.
"What is to be done then?" said the gallant.
"We must put something there for my husband to find, or he will think that I have let you out."
"And what shall we put there?" asked the lover. "For it is time for me to go."
"We have in the stable," she said, "an a.s.s, that we will put in if you will help me."
"Certainly, I will," he answered.
The a.s.s was driven into the bin, and it was locked again, and then her lover took leave of her with a sweet kiss, and left by a back-door, whilst the damsel quickly got into bed.
Whilst these things were happening, her husband had a.s.sembled all his wife"s relatives, and brought them to his cousin"s house, as has been said, where he informed them of what he had done, and how he had caught the gallant, and had him under lock and key.
"And in order that you shall not say," he added, "that I blame your daughter without cause, you shall both see and touch the scoundrel who has done us this dishonour, and I beg that he may be killed before he can get away."
Every one present declared that it should be so.
"And then," said the merchant, "I will send you back your daughter for such as she is."
With that they all accompanied him, though sorrowing much at the news, and they took with them torches and flambeaux, so as to be better able to search, and that nothing should escape them.
They knocked so loudly that the damsel came before anyone else in the house was awakened, and opened the door, and when they had come in, she abused her husband, her father, her mother, and the others, and declared that she wondered greatly what could have brought them all at that hour of the night. At these words her husband stepped forward, and gave her a good buffet, and said,
"You shall know soon enough, false such and such that you are."
"Ah! take care what you say. Was it for that you brought my father and mother here?"
"Yes," said the mother, "false wench that you are. We will drag forth your paramour directly."
And her sisters said,
"By G.o.d, sister you did not learn at home to behave like this."
"Sisters," she replied, "by all the saints of Rome, I have done nothing that a good woman should not do. I should like to see anyone prove the contrary."
"You lie!" said her husband. "I can prove it at once, and the rascal shall be killed in your presence. Up quickly! and open me this bin."
"I?" she replied. "In truth I think you must be dreaming, or out of your senses, for you know well that I have never had the key, but that it hangs at your belt along with the others, ever since the time that you locked up your goods. If you want to open it, open it. But I pray to G.o.d that, as truly as I have never kept company with whoever is in that box, that He will deliver me, to my great joy, and that the evil spite that you have against me may be clearly proved and demonstrated--and I have full hope and confidence that it will be so."
"And I hope," said her husband, addressing the crowd, "that you will see her on her knees, weeping and groaning, and squalling like a drenched cat. She would deceive anybody who was fool enough to believe her, but I have suspected her for a long time past. Now I am going to unlock the bin, and I beg you, gentlemen, to lay hands on the scoundrel, that he escape us not, for he is strong and bold."
"Have no fear!" they cried in chorus. "We will give a good account of him."
"With that they drew their swords, and brandished their hammers to knock down the poor lover, and they shouted to him,
"Confess your sins! for you will never have a priest nearer you."
The mother and sisters, not wishing to witness the murder, drew on one side, and then the good man opened the bin, and as soon as the a.s.s saw the light, it began to bray so hideously that the boldest person there was affrighted.
And when they saw that it was an a.s.s, and that they had been befooled, they cursed the merchant, and showered more abuse on him than ever St.
Peter had praise, and even the women inveighed against him. In fact, if he had not fled, his wife"s brothers would have killed him, in revenge for the blame and dishonour he had wrongly tried to bring on the family.
There was such ado between him and his wife"s family that peace had to be made between them by the chief burghers of the town, and this was not effected without much trouble, and many demands on the part of her friends, and many strict promises on his part. But ever after that he was all kindness and consideration, and never did a man conduct himself better to his wife than he did all his life; and thus they pa.s.sed their days together.
[Ill.u.s.tration: 62.jpg The lost Ring.]
STORY THE SIXTY-SECOND -- THE LOST RING.
By Monseigneur De Commesuram.
_Of two friends, one of whom left a diamond in the bed of his hostess, where the other found it, from which there arose a great discussion between them, which the husband of the said hostess settled in an effectual manner._