“Well then, let us enjoy ourselves,” said she, “and think no more about him.”
To cut matters short, they both undressed, and the two lovers lay down in the fair bed, and did what they intended to do, and which is better imagined than described.
When day dawned, her paramour took leave of her as secretly as he could, and returned to his lodgings to sleep, I hope, and to breakfast, for he had need of both.
Madam, who was as cunning as she was wise and good, rose at the usual hour, and said to her women;
“It will soon be time to let out our prisoner. I will go and see what he says, and whether he will pay his ransom.”
“Put all the blame on us,” they said. “We will appease him.”
“All right, I will do so,” she said.
With these words she made the sign of the Cross, and went nonchalantly, as though not thinking what she was doing, into the cupboard where her husband was still shut up in the chest. And when he heard her he began to make a great noise and cry out, “Who is there? Why do you leave me locked up here?”
His good wife, who heard the noise he was making replied timidly, as though frightened, and playing the simpleton;
“Heavens! who is it that I hear crying?”