mirthë they beset; For he was rich, and clearly out of debt. When it was day, the merchant gan embrace His wife all new, and kiss’d her in her face, And up he went, and maked it full tough. “No more,” quoth she, “by God ye have enough;” And wantonly again with him she play’d, Till at the last this merchant to her said. “By God,” quoth he, “I am a little wroth With you, my wife, although it be me loth; And wot ye why? by God, as that I guess, That ye have made a manner strangëness Betwixtë me and my cousín, Dan John. Ye should have warned me, ere I had gone, That he you had a hundred frankës paid By ready token; he had him evil apaid For that I to him spake of chevisance, (He seemed so as by his countenance); But natheless, by God of heaven king, I thoughtë not to ask of him no thing. I pray thee, wife, do thou no morë so. Tell me alway, ere that I from thee go, If any debtor hath in mine absénce Y-payed thee, lest through thy negligence I might him ask a thing that he hath paid.”
This wife was not afeared nor afraid, But boldëly she said, and that anon; “Mary! I defy that false monk Dan John, I keep not of his tokens never a deal: He took me certain gold, I wot it well.— What? evil thedom