so disport yourselves?  ’Twould be much more decent than to do so in my presence.”  Whereupon the lady, turning to her husband:—­“Now what can Pyrrhus mean?” said she.  “Is he mad?” “Nay, Madam,” quoth Pyrrhus; “mad am not I. Think you I see you not?” Whereat Nicostratus marvelled not a little; and:—­“Pyrrhus,” quoth he, “I verily believe thou dreamest.”  “Nay, my lord,” replied Pyrrhus, “not a whit do I dream; neither do you; rather you wag it with such vigour, that, if this pear-tree did the like, there would be never a pear left on it.”  Then the lady:—­“What can this mean?” quoth she:  “can it be that it really seems to him to be as he says?  Upon my hope of salvation, were I but in my former health, I would get me up there to judge for myself what these wonders are which he professes to see.”  Whereupon, as Pyrrhus in the pear-tree continued talking in the same strange strain:—­“Come down,” quoth Nicostratus; and when he was down:—­“Now what,” said Nicostratus, “is it thou sayst thou seest up there?” “I suppose,” replied Pyrrhus, “that you take me to be deluded or dreaming:  but as I must needs tell you the truth, I saw you lying upon your wife, and then, when I came down, I saw you get up and sit you down here where you now are.”  “Therein,” said Nicostratus, “thou wast certainly deluded, for, since thou clombest the pear-tree, we have not budged a jot, save as thou seest.”  Then said Pyrrhus:—­“Why make more words about the matter?  See you I certainly did; and, seeing you, I saw you lying upon your own.”  Nicostratus’ wonder now waxed momently, insomuch that he said:—­“I am minded to see if this pear-tree be enchanted, so that whoso is in it sees marvels;” and so he got him up into it.  Whereupon the lady and Pyrrhus fell to disporting them, and Nicostratus, seeing what they were about, exclaimed:—­“Ah! lewd woman, what is this thou doest?  And thou, Pyrrhus, in whom I so much trusted!” And so saying, he began to climb down.  Meanwhile the lady and Pyrrhus had made answer:—­“We are sitting here:”  and seeing him descending, they placed themselves as they had been when he had left them, whom Nicostratus, being come down, no sooner saw, than he fell a rating them.  Then quoth Pyrrhus:—­“Verily, Nicostratus, I now acknowledge, that, as you said a while ago, what I saw when I was in the pear-tree was but a false show, albeit I had never understood that so it was but that I now see and know that thou hast also seen a false show.  And that I speak truth, you may sufficiently assure yourself, if you but reflect whether ’tis likely that your wife, who for virtue and discretion has not her peer among women, would, if she were minded so to dishonour you, see fit to do so before your very eyes.  Of myself I say nought, albeit I had liefer be hewn in pieces than that I should so much as think of such a thing, much less do it in your presence.  Wherefore ’tis evident that ’tis some illusion of sight that is propagated from the pear-tree; for nought in the