And helping himself to another trout:
“Look,” he cried, “look how lovely and firm he is. This flesh is as pink as the flesh of my wife. But to-morrow we will leave Namur. I have a purseful of florins, and we will buy a donkey for each of us, and so we will go riding away to the land of Flanders!”
“You will be giving up a great deal,” said Ulenspiegel.
“Never mind,” said Lamme. “My heart draws me back to Damme. For it was there that my love loved me well. And it may be that she also has returned thither.”
“We will set out to-morrow,” said Ulenspiegel, “since such is your desire.”
And in fact they set forth as Lamme had said, each on a donkey; and so they rode along side by side.
XIX
Nele all this time was living at Damme, sorrowful and alone, with Katheline, who still continued to call amorously for her cold devil who never came.
“Ah!” she would say, “you are rich, Hanske my pet; and you could easily give me back those seven hundred caroluses. Then Soetkin would live again and come to earth once more, and Claes in heaven would laugh for joy. Easily could you do this, and you would! Put out the fire! My soul wants to get out!”