monk; 'whom God willeth.' 'Marry,' cried
Ferondo, 'and I ever return thither, I will be the best husband in the
world; I will never beat her nor give her an ill word, except it be
anent the wine she sent hither this morning and for that she sent no
candles, so it behoved me to eat in the dark.' 'Nay,' said the monk,
'she sent candles enough, but they were all burnt for the masses.'
'True,' rejoined Ferondo; 'and assuredly, an I return thither, I will
let her do what she will. But tell me, who art thou that usest me
thus?' Quoth the monk, 'I also am dead. I was of Sardinia and for that
aforetime I much commended a master of mine of being jealous, I have
been doomed of God to this punishment, that I must give thee to eat
and drink and beat thee thus, till such time as God shall ordain
otherwhat of thee and of me.' Then said Ferondo, 'Is there none here
other than we twain?' 'Ay,' answered the monk, 'there be folk by the
thousands; but thou canst neither see nor hear them, nor they thee.'
Quoth Ferondo, 'And how far are we from our own countries?' 'Ecod,'
replied the other, 'we are distant thence more miles than we can well
cack at a bout.' 'Faith,' rejoined the farmer, 'that is far enough;
meseemeth we must be out of the world, an it be so much as all that.'

[Footnote 195: _i.e._ in the sublunary world.]

In such and the like discourse was Ferondo entertained half a score
months with eating and drinking and beating, what while the abbot
assiduously visited the fair lady, without miscarriage, and gave
himself the goodliest time in the world with her. At last, as ill-luck
would have it, the lady found herself with child and straightway
acquainted the abbot therewith, wherefore it seemed well to them both
that Ferondo should without delay be recalled from purgatory to life
and return to her, so she might avouch herself with child by him.
Accordingly, the abbot that same night caused call to Ferondo in
prison with a counterfeit voice, saying, 'Ferondo, take comfort, for
it is God's pleasure that thou return to the world, where thou shalt
have a son by thy wife, whom look thou name Benedict, for that by the
prayers of thy holy abbot and of thy wife and for the love of St.
Benedict He doth thee this favour.' Ferondo, hearing this, was
exceedingly rejoiced and said, 'It liketh me well, Lord grant a good
year to Seignior God Almighty and to the abbot and St. Benedict and my
cheesy[196] sweet honey wife.' The abbot let give him