t of the chest and sat thereon herself;
and even therewith in came the husband into the loft, for he and his
had broken open the door thereof.

Then said the lady, "Why do ye fare with all this uproar? are your
foes after you then?"

The goodman answered, "Now it is well that thou thyself givest proof
of thyself what thou art; where is the man who trolled out that song
so well e'en now? I wot thou deemest him of far fairer voice than I
be."

She said: "Not altogether a fool is he who can be silent; but so it
fares not with thee: thou deemest thyself cunning, and art minded to
bind thy lie on my back. Well, then, let proof be made thereof! If
there be truth in thy words, take the man; he will scarce have leapt
out through the walls or the roof."

So he searched through the place, and found him not, and she said,
"Why dost thou not take him then, since thou deemest the thing so
sure?"

He was silent, nor knew in sooth amid what wiles he was come; then
he asked his fellows if they had not heard him even as he had. But
whereas they saw that the mistress misliked the matter, their witness
came to nought, for they said that oft folk heard not things as they
were in very sooth. So the husband went out, and deemed he knew that
sooth well enough, though they had not found the man; and now for a
long time he left spying on his wife and her ways.

Another time, long after, Thorstein and Spes sat in a certain
cloth-bower, and therein were clothes, both cut and uncut, which the
wedded folk owned; there she showed to Thorstein many kinds of cloth,
and they unfolded them; but when they were least ware of it the
husband came on them with many men, and brake into the loft; but while
they were about that she heaped up clothes over Thorstein, and leaned
against the clothes-stack when they came into the chamber.

"Wilt thou still deny," said the goodman, "that there was a man with
thee, when such men there are as saw you both?"

She bade them not to go on so madly. "This time ye will not fail,
belike; but let me be at peace, and worry me not."

So they searched through the place and found nought, and at last gave
it up.

Then the goodwife answered and said, "It is ever good to give better
proof than the guesses of certain folk; nor was it to be looked for
that ye should find that which was not. Wilt thou now confess thy
folly, husband, and free me from this slander?"

He said, "The less will I free thee from it in that I tro