ano heard, he verily believed that she
had cast herself in; wherefore, snatching up the bucket and the rope,
he rushed out of the house and ran to the well to succour her. The
lady, who had hidden herself near the door, no sooner saw him run to
the well than she slipped into the house and locked herself in; then,
getting her to the window, 'You should water your wine, whenas you
drink it,' quoth she, 'and not after and by night.' Tofano, hearing
this, knew himself to have been fooled and returned to the door, but
could get no admission and proceeded to bid her open to him; but she
left speaking softly, as she had done till then, and began, well nigh
at a scream, to say, 'By Christ His Cross, tiresome sot that thou art,
thou shalt not enter here to-night; I cannot brook these thy fashions
any longer; needs must I let every one see what manner of man thou art
and at what hour thou comest home anights.' Tofano, on his side,
flying into a rage, began to rail at her and bawl; whereupon the
neighbours, hearing the clamour, arose, both men and women, and coming
to the windows, asked what was to do. The lady answered, weeping, 'It
is this wretch of a man, who still returneth to me of an evening,
drunken, or falleth asleep about the taverns and after cometh home at
this hour; the which I have long suffered, but, it availing me not and
I being unable to put up with it longer, I have bethought me to shame
him therefor by locking him out of doors, to see and he will mend
himself thereof.'

[Footnote 350: _Riporre_, possibly a mistake for _riportare_, to fetch
back.]

Tofano, on the other hand, told them, like an ass as he was, how the
case stood and threatened her sore; but she said to the neighbours,
'Look you now what a man he is! What would you say, were I in the
street, as he is, and he in the house, as am I? By God His faith, I
doubt me you would believe he said sooth. By this you may judge of his
wits; he saith I have done just what methinketh he hath himself done.
He thought to fear me by casting I know not what into the well; but
would God he had cast himself there in good sooth and drowned himself,
so he might have well watered the wine which he hath drunken to
excess.' The neighbours, both men and women, all fell to blaming
Tofano, holding him at fault, and chid him for that which he said
against the lady; and in a short time the report was so noised abroad
from neighbour to neighbour that it reached the ears of the lad