Pyrrhus, who had witnessed what had passed, said to himself:—­Nobly indeed has my lady begun, and on such wise as promises well for the felicity of my love.  God grant that she so continue.  And even so Lydia did:  for not many days after she had killed the sparrow-hawk, she, being with Nicostratus in her chamber, from caressing passed to toying and trifling with him, and he, sportively pulling her by the hair, gave her occasion to fulfil the second of Pyrrhus’ demands; which she did by nimbly laying hold of one of the lesser tufts of his beard, and, laughing the while, plucking it so hard that she tore it out of his chin.  Which Nicostratus somewhat resenting:—­“Now what cause hast thou,” quoth she, “to make such a wry face?  ’Tis but that I have plucked some half-dozen hairs from thy beard.  Thou didst not feel it as much as did I but now thy tugging of my hair.”  And so they continued jesting and sporting with one another, the lady jealously guarding the tuft that she had torn from the beard, which the very same day she sent to her cherished lover.  The third demand caused the lady more thought; but, being amply endowed with wit, and powerfully, seconded by Love, she failed not to hit upon an apt expedient.

Nicostratus had in his service two lads, who, being of gentle birth, had been placed with him by their kinsfolk, that they might learn manners, one of whom, when Nicostratus sate at meat, carved before him, while the other gave him to drink.  Both lads Lydia called to her, and gave them to understand that their breath smelt, and admonished them that, when they waited on Nicostratus, they should hold their heads as far back as possible, saying never a word of the matter to any.  The lads believing her, did as she bade them.  Whereupon she took occasion to say to Nicostratus:—­“Hast thou marked what these lads do when they wait upon thee?” “Troth, that have I,” replied Nicostratus; “indeed I have often had it in mind to ask them why they do so.”  “Nay,” rejoined the lady, “spare thyself the pains; for I can tell thee the reason, which I have for some time kept close, lest it should vex thee; but as I now see that others begin to be ware of it, it need no longer be withheld from thee.  ’Tis for that thy breath stinks shrewdly that they thus avert their heads from thee:  ’twas not wont to be so, nor know I why it should be so; and ’tis most offensive when thou art in converse with gentlemen; and therefore ’twould be well to find some way of curing it.”  “I wonder what it could be,” returned Nicostratus; “is it perchance that I have a decayed tooth in my jaw?” “That may well be,” quoth Lydia:  and taking him to a window, she caused him open his mouth, and after regarding it on this side and that:—­“Oh!  Nicostratus,” quoth she, “how couldst thou have endured it so long?  Thou hast a tooth here, which, by what I see, is not only decayed, but actually rotten throughout; and beyond all manner of doubt, if thou let it remain long in thy head, ’twill