What
is it I do to you?' Quoth he, 'Thou dost nought to me, but thou
sufferest me not do to thee that which I would fain do and which God
commandeth.' 'Alack!' cried Belcolore, 'Go to, go to. Do priests do
such things?' 'Ay do we,' replied he, 'as well as other men; and why
not? And I tell thee more, we do far and away better work and knowest
thou why? Because we grind with a full head of water. But in good
sooth it shall be shrewdly to thy profit, an thou wilt but abide quiet
and let me do.' 'And what might this "shrewdly to my profit" be?'
asked she. 'For all you priests are stingier than the devil.' Quoth
he, 'I know not; ask thou. Wilt have a pair of shoes or a head-lace or
a fine stammel waistband or what thou wilt?' 'Pshaw!' cried Belcolore.
'I have enough and to spare of such things; but an you wish me so
well, why do you not render me a service, and I will do what you
will?' Quoth the priest, 'Say what thou wilt have of me, and I will do
it willingly.' Then said she, 'Needs must I go to Florence, come
Saturday, to carry back the wool I have spun and get my spinning-wheel
mended; and an you will lend me five crowns, which I know you have by
you, I can take my watchet gown out of pawn and my Sunday girdle[367]
that I brought my husband, for you see I cannot go to church nor to
any decent place, because I have them not; and after I will still do
what you would have me.' 'So God give me a good year,' replied the
priest, 'I have them not about me; but believe me, ere Saturday come,
I will contrive that thou shalt have them, and that very willingly.'
'Ay,' said Belcolore, 'you are all like this, great promisers, and
after perform nothing to any. Think you to do with me as you did with
Biliuzza, who went off with the ghittern-player?[368] Cock's faith,
then, you shall not, for that she is turned a common drab only for
that. If you have them not about you, go for them.' 'Alack,' cried the
priest, 'put me not upon going all the way home. Thou seest that I
have the luck just now to find thee alone, but maybe, when I return,
there will be some one or other here to hinder us; and I know not when
I shall find so good an opportunity again.' Quoth she, 'It is well; an
you choose to go, go; if not, go without.'

[Footnote 367: Or apron.]

[Footnote 368: _Se n'ando col ceteratojo_; a proverbial expression of
similar meaning to our "was whistled down the wind," _i.e._ was
lightly dismissed without provision, like a cast-off haw