“And I declare by my oath,” cried one of the men, “that you dream, and that you are drunken with sleep. As for me I slept alone, and did not leave my bed all night.”
“Nor did I,” said another.
“Nor I, by St. John!” said the third. “I would not on any account break my oath. And I feel sure that my friend here, and my neighbour there, who also promised, have not so quickly forgotten.”
The women began to change colour and to suspect some trickery, when one of the husbands began to fear the truth. Without giving the women time to reply, he made a sign to his companions, and said, laughing;
“By my oath, madam, the good wine here, and the excellent cheer last night made us forget our promise; but be not displeased at the adventure; if it please God we each last night, with your help, made a fine baby, which is a work of great merit, and will be sufficient to wipe out the fault of breaking our vow!”
“May God will it so!” said the women. “But you so strongly declared that you had not been near us that we began to doubt a little.”
“We did it on purpose,” said he, “in order to hear what you would say.”
“And so you committed a double sin; first to break your oath, then to knowingly lie about it; and also you have much troubled us.”
“Do not worry yourselves about that,” said he; “it is no great matter; but go to Mass, and we will follow you.”
The women set out towards the church, and their husbands remained behind, without following them too closely; then they all said together, without picking their words;