finished the clock struck midnight, which astonished them greatly, so
quickly had the time passed at supper.

Each one thanked God, and being heavy-eyed, only asked to go to bed, but
as it was so late, the goldsmith detained the waggoner, fearing that he
might meet the watch, who would have put him into the Châtelet had they
found him at that hour of the night.

At that time the goldsmith had many persons working for him, and he was
obliged to make the waggoner lie with him and his wife, and, not
being of a suspicions nature, he made his wife lie between him and the
waggoner.

He had great trouble to arrange this, for the good waggoner refused his
hospitality, and would rather have slept in the barn or stable, but he
was obliged to obey the goldsmith. And after he had undressed, he got
into bed, in which already were the goldsmith and his wife, as I have
already said.

The wife feeling the waggoner approach her, moved nearer her husband,
both on account of the cold and the smallness of the bed, and, instead
of a pillow, placed her head upon her husband's breast, whilst her
backside rested on the waggoner's knees.

Our goldsmith soon went to sleep, and his wife pretended to also,
and the waggoner, being tired from his work, did the same. But as
the stallion grows hot as soon as he approaches the mare, so did this
stallion lift up his head on feeling so near to him the aforesaid woman.

It was not within the power of the waggoner to refrain from attacking