But in that she said she would
begin it all afresh, her husband found that in good earnest!
VINCENT: Well, I shall tell her what you say, I warrant you.
ANTHONY: Then will you make me make my word good!
But whatsoever she did, at least so fared now this wolf, who had
cast out in confession all his old ravine. For then hunger pricked
him forward so that, as the shrewish wife said, he should begin
all afresh. But yet the prick of conscience withdrew him and held
him back, because he would not, for breaking of his penance, take
any prey for his mealtide that should pass the price of sixpence.
It happed him then, as he walked prowling for his gear about, that
he came where a man had, a few days before, cast off two old lean
and lame horses, so sick that no flesh was there left upon them.
And the one, when the wolf came by, could scant stand on his legs,
and the other was already dead and his skin ripped off and carried
away. And as he looked upon them suddenly, he was first about to
feed upon them and whet his teeth upon their bones. But as he
looked aside, he spied a fair cow in an enclosure, walking with
her young calf by her side. And as soon as he saw them, his
conscience began to grudge him against both those two horses. And
then he sighed and said to himself, "Alas, wicked wretch that I
am, I had almost broken my penance ere I was aware! For yonder
dead horse, because I never sad a dead horse sold in the market,
even if I should die for it, I cannot guess, to save my sinful
soul, what price I should set on him.
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