egna and
his wife were at meat together, called his clerk and said to him,
'Carry this mortar back to Belcolore and say to her, 'His reverence
biddeth you gramercy and prayeth you send him back the cloak that the
boy left you by way of token.' The clerk accordingly repaired to her
house and there, finding her at table with Bentivegna, set down the
mortar and did the priest's errand. Belcolore, hearing require the
cloak again, would have answered; but her husband said, with an angry
air, 'Takest thou a pledge of his reverence? I vow to Christ, I have a
mind to give thee a good clout over the head! Go, give it quickly back
to him, pox take thee! And in future, let him ask what he will of
ours, (ay, though he should seek our ass,) look that it be not denied
him.' Belcolore rose, grumbling, and pulling the cloak out of the
chest, gave it to the clerk, saying, 'Tell her reverence from me,
Belcolore saith, she voweth to God you shall never again pound sauce
in her mortar; you have done her no such fine honour of this bout.'

The clerk made off with the cloak and did her message to the priest,
who said, laughing, 'Tell her, when thou seest her, that, an she will
not lend me her mortar, I will not lend her my pestle; and so we shall
be quits.' Bentivegna concluded that his wife had said this, because
he had chidden her, and took no heed thereof; but Belcolore bore the
priest a grudge and held him at arm's length till vintage-time; when,
he having threatened to cause her go into the mouth of Lucifer the
great devil, for very fear she made her peace with him over must and
roast chestnuts and they after made merry together time and again. In
lieu of the five crowns, the priest let put new parchment to her
tabret and string thereto a cast of hawk's bells, and with this she
was fain to be content."

THE THIRD STORY

[Day the Eighth]

CALANDRINO, BRUNO AND BUFFALMACCO GO COASTING ALONG THE
MUGNONE IN SEARCH OF THE HELIOTROPE AND CALANDRINO THINKETH
TO HAVE FOUND IT. ACCORDINGLY HE RETURNETH HOME, LADEN WITH
STONES, AND HIS WIFE CHIDETH HIM; WHEREUPON, FLYING OUT INTO
A RAGE, HE BEATETH HER AND RECOUNTETH TO HIS COMPANIONS THAT
WHICH THEY KNOW BETTER THAN HE

Pamfilo having made an end of his story, at which the ladies had
laughed so much that they laugh yet, the queen bade Elisa follow on,
who, still laughing, began, "I know not, charming ladies, if with a
little story of mine, no less tru