de, thou mayst not be able to complain of us.'

The girl, seeing that it was late, albeit the old man's words
affrighted her, said, 'An it please God, He will keep both you and me
from that annoy; and even if it befall me, it were a much less evil to
be maltreated of men than to be mangled of the wild beasts in the
woods.' So saying, she alighted from the rouncey and entered the poor
man's house, where she supped with him on such poor fare as they had
and after, all clad as she was, cast herself, together with them, on a
little bed of theirs. She gave not over sighing and bewailing her own
mishap and that of Pietro all night, knowing not if she might hope
other than ill of him; and when it drew near unto morning, she heard a
great trampling of folk approaching, whereupon she arose and betaking
herself to a great courtyard, that lay behind the little house, saw in
a corner a great heap of hay, in which she hid herself, so she might
not be so quickly found, if those folk should come thither. Hardly had
she made an end of hiding herself when these, who were a great company
of ill knaves, came to the door of the little house and causing open
to them, entered and found Agnolella's hackney yet all saddled and
bridled; whereupon they asked who was there and the good man, not
seeing the girl, answered, 'None is here save ourselves; but this
rouncey, from whomsoever it may have escaped, came hither yestereve
and we brought it into the house, lest the wolves should eat it.'
'Then,' said the captain of the troop, 'since it hath none other
master, it is fair prize for us.'

Thereupon they all dispersed about the little house and some went into
the courtyard, where, laying down their lances and targets, it chanced
that one of them, knowing not what else to do, cast his lance into the
hay and came very near to slay the hidden girl and she to discover
herself, for that the lance passed so close to her left breast that
the steel tore a part of her dress, wherefore she was like to utter a
great cry, fearing to be wounded; but, remembering where she was, she
abode still, all fear-stricken. Presently, the rogues, having dressed
the kids and other meat they had with them and eaten and drunken, went
off, some hither and some thither, about their affairs, and carried
with them the girl's hackney. When they had gone some distance, the
good man asked his wife, 'What befell of our young woman, who came
thither yestereve? I have seen nothing of