The worthy men replied that they were well content, so only he would marry without more ado.  And Gualtieri, who had long noted with approval the mien of a poor girl that dwelt on a farm hard by his house, and found her fair enough, deemed that with her he might pass a tolerably happy life.  Wherefore he sought no further, but forthwith resolved to marry her; and having sent for her father, who was a very poor man, he contracted with him to take her to wife.  Which done, Gualtieri assembled all the friends he had in those parts, and:—­“My friends,” quoth he, “you were and are minded that I should take a wife, and rather to comply with your wishes, than for any desire that I had to marry, I have made up my mind to do so.  You remember the promise you gave me, to wit, that, whomsoever I should take, you would pay her the honour due to a lady.  Which promise I now require you to keep, the time being come when I am to keep mine.  I have found hard by here a maiden after mine own heart, whom I purpose to take to wife, and to bring hither to my house in the course of a few days.  Wherefore bethink you, how you may make the nuptial feast splendid, and welcome her with all honour; that I may confess myself satisfied with your observance of your promise, as you will be with my observance of mine.”  The worthy men, one and all, answered with alacrity that they were well content, and that, whoever she might be, they would entreat her as a lady, and pay her all due honour as such.  After which, they all addressed them to make goodly and grand and gladsome celebration of the event, as did also Gualtieri.  He arranged for a wedding most stately and fair, and bade thereto a goodly number of his friends and kinsfolk, and great gentlemen, and others, of the neighbourhood; and therewithal he caused many a fine and costly robe to be cut and fashioned to the figure of a girl who seemed to him of the like proportions as the girl that he purposed to wed; and laid in store, besides, of girdles and rings, with a costly and beautiful crown, and all the other paraphernalia of a bride.

The day that he had appointed for the wedding being come, about half tierce he got him to horse with as many as had come to do him honour, and having made all needful dispositions:—­“Gentlemen,” quoth he, “’tis time to go bring home the bride.”  And so away he rode with his company to the village; where, being come to the house of the girl’s father, they found her returning from the spring with a bucket of water, making all the haste she could, that she might afterwards go with the other women to see Gualtieri’s bride come by.  Whom Gualtieri no sooner saw, than he called her by her name, to wit, Griselda, and asked her where her father was.  To whom she modestly made answer:—­“My lord, he is in the house.”  Whereupon Gualtieri dismounted, and having bidden the rest await him without, entered the cottage alone; and meeting her father, whose name was Giannucolo:—­“I am come,” quoth he, “to wed Griselda, but first of all