“How can you carry me,” she said, “when you can scarcely carry yourself?”

“Nevertheless, it would be a great condescension.  I cannot offer you more than I have, and you will prosper the better in other things for having had no pride with a poor man.”

“Know then for a surety,” she said, “that if you carry me not properly the skin shall be flayed from your back.”

“Gladly will I venture upon that,” he said, and waded out into the stream.  She pretended to dislike very much being carried by him; nevertheless, she got upon his back.  He staggered along very slowly, using two crutches, and when they reached the middle he was reeling in every direction.  She told him to pull himself together.  “If you drop me here,” she said, “it shall be the worst journey that you ever made.”

The poor wretch gathered up all his strength and still went on.  By dint of a valiant effort he had all but reached the shore when he struck his foot against something and fell forwards, projecting her on to the bank while he himself fell into the mire up to his armpits.  There as he lay he put out his hands, not on her clothes, but on her legs.  She sprang up cursing and said she always suffered ill from low vagabonds.  “It would only be right that you should have a good beating,” she said, “were I not ashamed to beat such a miserable creature as you are.”

He said:  “Unequal is the lot of man.  I thought to earn some benefit and to receive alms from you, and you only give me abuse and insult without any reward.”  And he pretended to be very much disgusted.  Many felt pity for him, but she said he was a very cunning rascal.  When they all began to beg for him she took out her purse, wherein was many a golden penny.  She shook out the money, saying:  “Take that, fellow!  It would not be right that you should go unpaid for all my scoldings.  You are now paid for what you have done.”

He gathered up the money and thanked her for her liberality.  Spes then went to the church, which was full of people.  Sigurd proceeded with energy and told her to clear herself of the charge which he had brought against her.

“I pay no heed to your accusation,” she said; “but I want to know what man it was whom you pretend to have seen in the room with me, because there is always some proper man near me; there is nothing to be ashamed of in that.  But this I will swear, that to no man have I given money and that by no man has my body been defiled excepting by my husband and by that beggar, who put his muddy hands upon my leg to-day when I was carried over the ditch.”