Schiatta (a worker of Francesco Datini) offers the services of his wife as wet nurse and asks Margherita Datini to act as mediator. Margherita does not want to help Schiatta and his wife without telling them openly. According to Margherita, Schiatta’s wife is too old and has too much milk to be a good wet nurse and Margherita does not want to put her reputation at risk.