urn that neither thou nor he shall
ever again be glad.' The lady, hearing this and believing what Zeppa
said, after many affirmations made her of him, replied, 'Zeppa mine,
since this vengeance is to fall on me, I am content, so but thou wilt
contrive, notwithstanding what we are to do, that I may abide at peace
with thy wife, even as I intend to abide with her, notwithstanding
this that she hath done to me.' 'Assuredly,' rejoined Zeppa, 'I will
do it; and to boot, I will give thee a precious and fine jewel as none
other thou hast.' So saying, he embraced her; then, laying her flat on
the chest, there to his heart's content, he solaced himself with her,
and she with him.

Spinelloccio, hearing from within the chest all that Zeppa said his
wife's answer and feeling the morrisdance[395] that was toward over
his head, was at first so sore despited that himseemed he should die;
and but that he stood in fear of Zeppa, he had rated his wife finely,
shut up as he was. However, bethinking himself that the offence had
begun with him and that Zeppa was in his right to do as he did and had
indeed borne himself towards him humanely and like a comrade, he
presently resolved in himself to be, an he would, more than ever his
friend. Zeppa, having been with the lady so long as it pleased him,
dismounted from the chest, and she asking for the promised jewel, he
opened the chamber-door and called his wife, who said nought else than
'Madam, you have given me a loaf for my bannock'; and this she said
laughing. To her quoth Zeppa, 'Open this chest.' Accordingly she
opened it and therein Zeppa showed the lady her husband, saying, 'Here
is the jewel I promised thee.' It were hard to say which was the more
abashed of the twain, Spinelloccio, seeing Zeppa and knowing that he
knew what he had done, or his wife, seeing her husband and knowing
that he had both heard and felt that which she had done over his head.
But Spinelloccio, coming forth of the chest, said, without more
parley, 'Zeppa, we are quits; wherefore it is well, as thou saidst but
now to my wife, that we be still friends as we were, and that, since
there is nothing unshared between us two but our wives, we have these
also in common.' Zeppa was content and they all four dined together in
the utmost possible harmony; and thenceforward each of the two ladies
had two husbands and each of the latter two wives, without ever having
any strife or grudge anent the matter."

[Footnote 395: