her prayers until her husband returned. And when he came in, she went to
him and kissed him, and brought him a basin full of water that he might
wash his hands. He was surprised at this unwonted behaviour, and told
her that there was no need for her to rise, since he was only coming
from the latrines; whereat she replied that, although it was no great
matter, it was nevertheless a seemly thing to wash one's hands on coming
from so dirty and foul a place, intending by these words to make him
perceive and abhor the wickedness of his life. But for all that he did
not mend his ways, and for a full year the lady continued to act in this
way to no purpose.

Accordingly, seeing that this behaviour served her naught, one day,
while she was waiting for her husband, who tarried longer than ordinary,
she had a mind to go in search of him, and, passing from room to room,
found him at last in a closet at the back of the house, lying asleep by
the side of the ugliest, vilest, and filthiest serving-woman they had.

Thereupon, thinking she would teach him to leave so excellent a wife for
so filthy and vile a woman, she took some straw and set it on fire in
the middle of the room; but on seeing that it would as soon kill her
husband as awaken him, she plucked him by the arm, crying out--

"Fire! fire!"

If the husband was ashamed and sorry at being found by so virtuous a
wife in company with such a slut, he certainly had good reason for it.
Then said his wife to him--

"For a year, sir, have I tried by gentle and patient means to draw you
from this wickedness, and to show you that whilst washing the outside