l; whereupon Ercolano, who
was somewhat vexed with his wife for that she had kept us a great
while standing at the door, without opening to us, said, as if in a
rage, "What meaneth this? Who is it sneezeth thus?" And rising from
table, made for a stair that stood near at hand and under which, hard
by the stairfoot, was a closure of planks, wherein to bestow all
manner things, as we see those do every day who set their houses in
order. Himseeming it was from this that came the noise of sneezing, he
opened a little door that was therein and no sooner had he done this
than there issued forth thereof the frightfullest stench of sulphur
that might be. Somewhat of this smell had already reached us and we
complaining thereof, the lady had said, "It is because I was but now
in act to bleach my veils with sulphur and after set the pan, over
which I had spread them to catch the fumes, under the stair, so that
it yet smoketh thereof."

As soon as the smoke was somewhat spent, Ercolano looked into the
cupboard and there espied him who had sneezed and who was yet in act
to sneeze, for that the fumes of the sulphur constrained him thereto,
and indeed they had by this time so straitened his breast that, had he
abidden a while longer, he had never sneezed nor done aught else
again. Ercolano, seeing him, cried out, "Now, wife, I see why, whenas
we came hither awhile ago, we were kept so long at the door, without
its being opened to us; but may I never again have aught that shall
please me, an I pay thee not for this!" The lady, hearing this and
seeing that her sin was discovered, stayed not to make any excuse, but
started up from table and made off I know not whither. Ercolano,
without remarking his wife's flight, again and again bade him who
sneezed come forth; but the latter, who was now at the last gasp,
offered not to stir, for all that he could say; whereupon, taking him
by one foot, he haled him forth of his hiding-place and ran for a
knife to kill him; but I, fearing the police on mine own account,
arose and suffered him not to slay him or do him any hurt; nay, crying
out and defending him, I gave the alarm to certain of the neighbours,
who ran thither and taking the now half-dead youth, carried him forth
the house I know not whither. Wherefore, our supper being disturbed by
these things, I have not only not despatched it, nay, I have, as I
said, not even tasted it.'

The lady, hearing this, knew that there were other women as