rogue whom we thought to deceive has deceived us instead."

Then they paid their reckoning and went away as vexed as they had
been merry on their arrival, when they fancied they had tricked the
apothecary's varlet. (5)

5 In MS. 1520, this tale ends in the following manner:--
"They were no sooner in the street than they perceived the
apothecary's man going about and making inquiry of every one
whether they had not seen a loaf of sugar wrapped in paper.
They [the advocate and his companion] sought to avoid him,
but he called aloud to the advocate, 'If you have my loaf of
sugar, sir, I beg that you will give it back to me, for 'tis
a double sin to rob a poor servant.' His shouts brought to
the spot many people curious to witness the dispute, and the
true circumstances of the case were so well proven, that the
apothecary's man was as glad to have been robbed as the
others were vexed at having committed such a nasty theft.
However, they comforted themselves with the hope that they
might some day give him tit for tat."--Ed.

"Often, ladies, do we see the like befall those who delight in using
such cunning. If the gentleman had not sought to eat at another's
expense, he would not have drunk so vile a beverage at his own. It is
true, ladies, that my story is not a very clean one, but you gave me
license to speak the truth, and I have done so in order to show you that
no one is sorry when a deceiver is deceived."

"It is commonly said," replied Hircan, "that words have no stink, yet
those for whom they are intended do not easily escape smelling them."

"It is true," said Oisille, "that such words do not stink, but there are
others which are spoken of as nasty, and which are of such evil odour
that they disgust the soul even more than the body is disgusted when it
smells such a sugar-loaf as you described in the tale."

"I pray you," said Hircan, "tell me what words you know of so foul as to
sicken both the heart and soul of a virtuous woman."

"It would indeed be seemly," replied Oisille, "that I should tell you
words which I counsel no woman to utter."

"By that," said Saffredent, "I quite understand what those terms are.
They are such as women desirous of being held discreet do not commonly
employ. But I would ask all the ladies present why, when they dare not
utter them, they are so ready to laugh at them when they are used in
their presence."