Page:The Canterbury tales of Geoffrey Chaucer.djvu/245

 we had sworn to, it glideth away so quickly; it will make us beggars at last."

While this yeoman was talking thus, this canon drew near and heard all which this yeoman spake, for he had ever suspicion of men's speech. For Cato saith that he that is guilty deemeth verily that all things be spoken of him. That was the cause why he drew him so near to his yeoman, to hearken all his speech ; and thus he said then unto his yeoman, "Hold thy peace and speak no more words, for if thou do, thou shalt pay for it dear; thou slanderest me in this company, and makest known eke what thou shouldst hide."

"Yea," quoth our host, "tell on, whatsoever befall; reck not a mite for all his threatening."

"In faith, no more I do but little," quoth he.

And when this canon saw that it would be no else than this yeoman would tell his privacy, he fled away, for very shame and sorrow.

"Aye," quoth the yeoman, "here shall be sport; all now that I know will I tell anon. Sith he is gone, the foul fiend kill him! For never hereafter, I promise you, will I meet with him, for penny nor for pound. He that first brought me into that sport, may he have sorrow and shame ere he die! For, by my fay, it hath been bitter earnest to me; I feel that well, whatsoever any man saith. And yet for all my pain and grief, for all my sorrow and labour and misfortune, I could in no wise ever leave it. Now would to God my wit might be sufficient to tell all that pertaineth to that craft! Natheless I will tell you part; sith my lord is gone, I will not spare him; such things as I know I will speak."