By this the Gentlewoman verily concluded him to be mad, and fearing least his frenzie might be converted into fury, was thinking to slip from him just as his cough left him, and his eyes again restored to him, with the insight of his mistake; which made him much condemn his fallacious age, that had put this trick on him.
Apologies (as many as this old mans sterile invention could frame) were not wanting to excuse this absurdity and errour: Neither was his Wife without the height of mirth behind the Hangings, to hear how much her doting fool was mistaken; who had not patience any longer to discourse his Visitant, but abruptly left her in quest of his abused Wife as he now supposed, imagining from this grand mistake, that what ever before he had either seen or heard of his wife, was nothing but the genuine product of his own idle and jealous brain. After he had made a strict enquiry through the whole house for his wife, he at length found her out cloistered in a Garret, into which she had conveyed her self coming softly behind the Hangings, wherein she had hid herself; and the better to colour her intended Villany, hearing her Husband ascend the Stairs, she put her self into a praying posture.
The old man seeing her on her knees, had like to have broke his neck for hast, not minding so much the disturbance he would give her (pretended) devotion, as the satisfaction he injoyed to see his mistake confirmed. Being out of breath, his discourse was abrupt and broken, neither did he know which was most expedient, either first to question her, or crave her pardon: at length he threw himself at her feet (for indeed he could hardly stand upon his feeble Legs;) and hanging down his Head (I knew not whether he cried) a salt Rhume gushed through the port holes of his Head, which looked like scalding Teares; and so they might be, for by their burning heat, any might conclude the loss of the hair of his Eyelids, and that thereby the shriveled skin of his Countenance was parcht. It was a long time ere he could speak, and no wonder, since this was the second time of his Infancy; but at length with much ado, with a look as pittiful as his Rhetorick, he asked forgivness. She seemed strangly surprized and not only wondred at, but taxt him for the Irrationality of his Petition. The pretence of her ignorance in what had past, made him the more eager to discover his ridiculous folly. In short, he gave her to understand, that since he was mistaken in a thing so palpable, he might very well question whither all former reports, and his own evil opinion of her, might not be posited on the same basis of falshood. That for the time to come, he would never admit of jealousie within his breast, and to give a full confirmation to what he protested; he instantly delivered her his Keys, committing to her trust what he had of greatest value. This cunning Quean would not accept this kind proffer, but with much pressing, and then sealing his pardon with a kiss, an everlasting affection was seemingly agreed upon. For two or three months after she behaved her self so well, that had her Husband had _Argus_ his hundred eyes, he could not perceive any thing that might blemish her Reputation, or trouble his head.