Father Nicolo was not gone far before he was recovered out of his fright, and at the same time perceived he had left his breeches behind him. This put him into a new concern; he dared not go back, but comforted himself as well as he could in the hope that Agatha or her maid would find them first and take care to prevent further mischief. Ruggieri was now sitting on the bedside by his wife and saying a thousand kind things to her when, unluckily putting his hand to adjust the pillow under her head, he had hold on one of the strings and drew out the breeches. This threw him into a worse fit than any his wife had had; he stormed like a madman, and asked how this appurtenance of the friar came there. Agatha, who had all her wits awakened by her new amour, replied without the least hesitation that it was what she had told him of. It is to this, said she, I owe my cure. This is the miraculous garment of St. Griffon which the Holy Father brought, and he has left it here for my greater security till the evening, at which time he will send for it, or fetch it himself. Poor Ruggieri, hearing so ready and unexpected an answer, believed, or pretended to believe her, and retired. The trusty wench was now despatched on a new errand, to desire the Father to send for his relics. She understood her business, and acquainted Nicolo with all that had passed. The friar, pressed by the necessity of the case, went to the warden of the house and, confessing the whole intrigue, begged him to help him. The warden sharply reproved him for his negligence and said there was no time to be lost, and something must be thought of to save the reputation of the Order. He therefore caused the chapter bell to be rung and, the friars being all assembled, he informed them that heaven had that day wrought a most remarkable miracle by virtue of St. Griffon’s birch and breeches, in the house of Ruggieri the physician. In short, he related to them the particulars and persuaded them to go and fetch back the holy garments, in solemn procession. The friars were now drawn up in order, and, with a cross carried before them and the warden at their head holding the tabernacle of the altar in his hand, marched two and two in profound silence to Ruggieri’s house. The doctor met them at the door and asked the reason of their solemn visit. The warden told him they were obliged by the rules of their order to send their relics privately to such distressed persons as desired the use of them; that if through the sins of the patient the relics had no effect, they were to fetch them as privately back; but when a manifest miracle is wrought, they were to bring them home with decent ceremony, to publish the miracle, and finally to record it in their register. Ruggieri now understood their business and expressed himself overjoyed at the honour which was done him. He told the Fathers they were all welcome and, desiring the warden and Nicolo to follow him, he led them to his wife’s chamber.