God pardoneth
greater than this to whoso repenteth. But tell me, who is more akin to
your child, I who held him at baptism or your husband who begat him?'
'My husband is more akin to him,' answered the lady; whereupon, 'You
say sooth,' rejoined the friar. 'And doth not your husband lie with
you?' 'Ay doth he,' replied she. 'Then,' said Fra Rinaldo, 'I, who am
less akin to your child than is your husband, may lie with you even
as doth he.' The lady, who knew no logic and needed little persuasion,
either believed or made a show of believing that the friar spoke the
truth and answered, 'Who might avail to answer your learned words?'
And after, notwithstanding the gossipship, she resigned herself to do
his pleasure; nor did they content themselves with one bout, but
foregathered many and many a time, having the more commodity thereof
under cover of the gossipship, for that there was less suspicion.

But once, amongst other times, it befell that Fra Rinaldo, coming to
the lady's house and finding none with her but a little maid of hers,
who was very pretty and agreeable, despatched his comrade with the
latter to the pigeon-loft, to teach her her Paternoster, and entered
with the lady, who had her child in her hand, into her bedchamber,
where they locked themselves in and fell to taking their pleasure upon
a daybed that was there. As they were thus engaged, it chanced that
the husband came home and making for the bedchamber-door, unperceived
of any, knocked and called to the lady, who, hearing this, said to the
friar, 'I am a dead woman, for here is my husband, and now he will
certainly perceive what is the reason of our familiarity.' Now Rinaldo
was stripped to his waistcoat, to wit, he had put off his gown and his
scapulary, and hearing this, answered, 'You say sooth; were I but
dressed, there might be some means; but, if you open to him and he
find me thus, there can be no excuse for us.' The lady, seized with a
sudden idea, said, 'Harkye, dress yourself and when you are dressed,
take your godchild in your arms and hearken well to that which I shall
say to him, so your words may after accord with mine, and leave me
do.' Then, to the good man, who had not yet left knocking, 'I come to
thee,' quoth she and rising, opened the chamber-door and said, with a
good countenance, 'Husband mine, I must tell thee that Fra Rinaldo,
our gossip, is come hither and it was God sent him to us; for, certes,
but for his coming, we should to-