ready do his pleasure; then bring
him hither in secret and privily put me to bed to him in the stead of
your daughter. It may be God will vouchsafe me to conceive and on this
wise, having his ring on my finger and a child in mine arms of him
begotten, I shall presently regain him and abide with him, as a wife
should abide with her husband, and you will have been the cause
thereof.'

This seemed a grave matter to the gentlewoman, who feared lest blame
should haply ensue thereof to her daughter; nevertheless, bethinking
her it were honourably done to help the poor lady recover her husband
and that she went about to do this to a worthy end and trusting in the
good and honest intention of the countess, she not only promised her
to do it, but, before many days, dealing with prudence and secrecy, in
accordance with the latter's instructions, she both got the ring
(albeit this seemed somewhat grievous to the count) and adroitly put
her to bed with her husband, in the place of her own daughter. In
these first embracements, most ardently sought of the count, the lady,
by God's pleasure, became with child of two sons, as her delivery in
due time made manifest. Nor once only, but many times, did the
gentlewoman gratify the countess with her husband's embraces,
contriving so secretly that never was a word known of the matter,
whilst the count still believed himself to have been, not with his
wife, but with her whom he loved; and whenas he came to take leave of
a morning, he gave her, at one time and another, divers goodly and
precious jewels, which the countess laid up with all diligence.

Then, feeling herself with child and unwilling to burden the
gentlewoman farther with such an office, she said to her, 'Madam,
thanks to God and you, I have gotten that which I desired, wherefore
it is time that I do that which shall content you and after get me
gone hence.' The gentlewoman answered that, if she had gotten that
which contented her, she was well pleased, but that she had not done
this of any hope of reward, nay, for that herseemed it behoved her to
do it, an she would do well. 'Madam,' rejoined the countess, 'that
which you say liketh me well and so on my part I purpose not to give
you that which you shall ask of me by way of reward, but to do well,
for that meseemeth behoveful so to do.' The gentlewoman, then,
constrained by necessity, with the utmost shamefastness, asked her an
hundred pounds to marry her daughter withal; but