ris town for fourteen days, when they were to slay
a brown pig from the Ardennes, against whose death he had written an
elegy in Sapphics.

'For,' said his better half, standing before him with a great loaf
clasped to her bosom, 'if you turn a horse from the stable between
full and half full, like as not he will return of fair will to the
crib.'

'Oh Venus and Hebe in one body,' the magister said, 'I am minded to
end here my scholarly days.'

'I am minded that ye shall travel far erstwhile,' she answered.

He laid down his book upon a clean chopping-board.

'I know a good harbourage,' he said.

She sat down beside him in the window and fingered the fur on his long
gown, saying that, in this light, it showed ill-favouredly worm-eaten;
and he answered that he never had wishes nor money for gowning
himself, who cultivated the muses upon short commons. She turned
rightway to the front the medal upon his chest, and folded her arms.

'Whilst ye have no better house to harbour us,' she said, 'this shall
serve. Let us talk of the to-come.'

He groaned a little.

'Let us love to-day that's here,' he said. 'I will read thee a verse
from Lucretius, and you shall tell me the history of that fourth
capon'--he pointed to a browned carcase that, upon the spit, whirled
its elbows a full third longer than any of the line.

'That is the master roasting-piece,' she said, 'so he browns there not
too far, nor too close, for the envoy's own eating.'

He considered the chicken with his head to one side.

'It is the place of a wife to be subject to her lord,' he said.

'It is the place of a husband that he fendeth for 's wife,' she
answered him. She tapped her fingers determinedly upon her elbows.

'So it is,' she continued. 'To-morrow you shall set out for London
city to make road towards becoming Sir Chancellor.' Whilst he groaned
she laid down for him her law. He was to go to England, he was to
strive for great posts: if he gained, she would come share them; if he
failed, he might at odd moments come back to her fireside. 'Have done
with groaning now,' she said, stilling his lamentations.' 'Keep them
even for the next wench that you shall sue to--of me you have had all
you asked.'

He considered for five seconds, his elbow upon his crossed knees and
his wrist supporting his lean brown face.

'It is in the essence of it a good bargain,' he said. 'You put against
the chance of being, you a chancellor's madam, mine of havin