oth went to
the friend's house to take as long a rest as they could. In the morning,
while they were dressing, the husband perceived the ring that his friend
had on his finger, and saw that it was exactly like the one he had given
to his wife at their marriage. He thereupon asked his friend from whom
he had received the ring, and when he heard he had snatched it from the
servant's finger, he was confounded and began to strike his head against
the wall, saying--"Ah! good Lord! have I made myself a cuckold without
my wife knowing anything about it?"

"Perhaps," said his friend in order to comfort him, "your wife gives her
ring into the maid's keeping at night-time."

The husband made no reply, but took himself home, where he found his
wife fairer, more gaily dressed, and merrier than usual, like one who
rejoiced at having saved her maid's conscience, and tested her husband
to the full, at no greater cost than a night's sleep. Seeing her so
cheerful, the husband said to himself--

"If she knew of my adventure she would not show me such a pleasant
countenance."

Then, whilst speaking to her of various matters, he took her by the
hand, and on noticing that she no longer wore the ring, which she had
never been accustomed to remove from her finger, he was quite overcome.

"What have you done with your ring?" he asked her in a trembling voice.

She, well pleased that he gave her an opportunity to say what she
desired, replied--

"O wickedest of men! From whom do you imagine you took it? You thought
it was from my maid-servant, for love of whom you expended more than
twice as much of your substance as you ever did for me. The first time
you came to bed I thought you as much in love as it was possible to be;
but after you had gone out and were come back again, you seemed to be
a very devil. Wretch! think how blind you must have been to bestow such
praises on my person and lustiness, which you have long enjoyed
without holding them in any great esteem. 'Twas, therefore, not the
maid-servant's beauty that made the pleasure so delightful to you, but
the grievous sin of lust which so consumes your heart and so clouds
your reason that in the frenzy of your love for the servant you would,
I believe, have taken a she-goat in a nightcap for a comely girl! Now,
husband, it is time to amend your life, and, knowing me to be your wife,
and an honest woman, to be as content with me as you were when you took
me for a pitiful strumpet.