THE SECOND STORY
[Day the Seventh]
PERONELLA HIDETH A LOVER OF HERS IN A VAT, UPON HER HUSBAND'S UNLOOKED FOR RETURN, AND HEARING FROM THE LATTER THAT HE HATH SOLD THE VAT, AVOUCHETH HERSELF TO HAVE SOLD IT TO ONE WHO IS PRESENTLY THEREWITHIN, TO SEE IF IT BE SOUND; WHEREUPON THE GALLANT, JUMPING OUT OF THE VAT, CAUSETH THE HUSBAND SCRAPE IT OUT FOR HIM AND AFTER CARRY IT HOME TO HIS HOUSE
Emilia's story was received with loud laughter and the conjurationcommended of all as goodly and excellent; and this come to an end, theking bade Filostrato follow on, who accordingly began, "Dearestladies, so many are the tricks that men, and particularly husbands,play you, that, if some woman chance whiles to put a cheat upon herhusband, you should not only be blithe that this hath happened andtake pleasure in coming to know it or hearing it told of any, butshould yourselves go telling it everywhere, so men may understandthat, if they are knowing, women, on their part, are no less so! thewhich cannot be other than useful unto you, for that, when one knoweththat another is on the alert, he setteth himself not overlightly tocozen him. Who, then, can doubt but that which we shall say to-dayconcerning this matter, coming to be known of men, may be exceedingeffectual in restraining them from cozening you ladies, whenas theyfind that you likewise know how to cozen, an you will? I purpose,therefore, to tell you the trick which, on the spur of the moment, ayoung woman, albeit she was of mean condition, played her husband forher own preservation.
In Naples no great while agone there was a poor man who took to wife afair and lovesome damsel called Peronella, and albeit he with hiscraft, which was that of a mason, and she by spinning, earned but aslender pittance, they ordered their life as best they might. Itchanced one day that a young gallant of the neighbourhood saw thisPeronella and she pleasing him mightily, he fell in love with her andimportuned her one way and another till he became familiar with herand they took order with each other on this wise, so they might betogether; to wit, seeing that her husband arose every morning betimesto go to work or to find work, they agreed that the young man shouldbe whereas he might see him go out, and that, as soon as he wasgone,--the street where she abode, which was called Avorio, being verysolitary,--he should come to her house. On this wise they did manytimes; but one morning, the good man having gone out and GiannelloStrignario (for so was the lover named) having entered the house andbeing with Peronella, it chanced that, after awhile, the husbandreturned home, whereas it was his wont to be abroad all day, andfinding the door locked within, knocked and after fell a-saying inhimself, 'O my God, praised be Thou ever! For, though Thou hast mademe poor, at least Thou hast comforted me with a good and honest damselto wife. See how she locked the door within as soon as I was gone out,so none might enter to do her any annoy.'
Peronella, knowing her husband by his way of knocking, said to herlover, 'Alack, Giannello mine, I am a dead woman! For here is myhusband, whom God confound, come back and I know not what thismeaneth, for never yet came he back hither at this hour; belike he sawthee whenas thou enteredst here. But, for the love of God, however thecase may be, get thee into yonder vat, whilst I go open to him, and weshall see what is the meaning of his returning home so early thismorning.' Accordingly, Giannello betook himself in all haste into thevat, whilst Peronella, going to the door, opened to her husband andsaid to him, with an angry air, 'What is to do now, that thoureturnest home so soon this morning? Meseemeth thou hast a mind to donought to-day, that I see thee come back, tools in hand; and if thoudo thus, on what are we to live? Whence shall we get bread? Thinkestthou I will suffer thee pawn my gown and my other poor clothes? I, whodo nothing but spin day and night, till the flesh is come apart frommy nails, so I may at the least have so much oil as will keep our lampburning! Husband, husband, there is not a neighbour's wife of ours butmarvelleth thereat and maketh mock of me for the pains I give myselfand all that I endure; and thou, thou returnest home to me, with thyhands a-dangle, whenas thou shouldst be at work.'
So saying, she fell a-weeping and went on to say, 'Alack, woe is me,unhappy woman that I am! In what an ill hour was I born, at what anill moment did I come hither! I who might have had a young man of suchworth and would none of him, so I might come to this fellow here, whotaketh no thought to her whom he hath brought home! Other women givethemselves a good time with their lovers, for there is none [I know]but hath two and some three, and they enjoy themselves and show theirhusbands the moon for the sun. But I, wretch that I am! because I amgood and occupy myself not with such toys, I suffer ill and ill hap. Iknow not why I do not take me a lover, as do other women. Understandwell, husband mine, that had I a mind to do ill, I could soon enoughfind the wherewithal, for there be store of brisk young fellows wholove me and wish me well and have sent to me, proffering money galoreor dresses and jewels, at my choice; but my heart would never sufferme to do it, for that I was no mother's daughter of that ilk; and herethou comest home to me, whenas thou shouldst be at work.'
'Good lack, wife,' answered the husband, 'fret not thyself, for God'ssake; thou shouldst be assured that I know what manner of woman thouart, and indeed this morning I have in part had proof thereof. It istrue that I went out to go to work; but it seemeth thou knowest not,as I myself knew not, that this is the Feast-day of San Galeone andthere is no work doing; that is why I am come back at this hour; butnone the less I have provided and found a means how we shall havebread for more than a month, for I have sold yonder man thou seesthere with me the vat which, as thou knowest, hath this long whilecumbered the house; and he is to give me five lily-florins[344] forit.' Quoth Peronella, 'So much the more cause have I to complain;thou, who art a man and goest about and should be versed in the thingsof the world, thou hast sold a vat for five florins, whilst I, a poorsilly woman who hath scarce ever been without the door, seeing thehindrance it gave us in the house, have sold it for seven to an honestman, who entered it but now, as thou camest back, to see if it weresound!' When the husband heard this, he was more than satisfied andsaid to him who had come for the vat, 'Good man, begone in peace; forthou hearest that my wife hath sold the vat for seven florins, whereasthou wast to give me but five for it.' 'Good,' replied the other andwent his way; whereupon quoth Peronella to her husband, 'Since thouart here, come up and settle with him thyself.' Giannello, who abodewith his ears pricked up to hear if it behoved him fear or be on hisguard against aught, hearing his mistress's words, straightwayscrambled out of the vat and cried out, as if he had heard nothing ofthe husband's return, 'Where art thou, good wife?' whereupon thegoodman, coming up, answered, 'Here am I; what wouldst thou have?''Who art thou?' asked Giannello. 'I want the woman with whom I madethe bargain for this vat.' Quoth the other, 'You may deal with me inall assurance, for I am her husband.' Then said Giannello, 'The vatappeareth to me sound enough; but meseemeth you have kept dregs or thelike therein, for it is all overcrusted with I know not what that isso hard and dry that I cannot remove aught thereof with my nails;wherefore I will not take it, except I first see it clean.' 'Nay,'answered Peronella, 'the bargain shall not fall through for that; myhusband will clean it all out.' 'Ay will I,' rejoined the latter, andlaying down his tools, put off his coat; then, calling for a light anda scraper, he entered the vat and fell to scraping. Peronella, as ifshe had a mind to see what he did, thrust her head and one of herarms, shoulder and all, in at the mouth of the vat, which was notoverbig, and fell to saying, 'Scrape here' and 'There' and 'Therealso' and 'See, here is a little left.'
[Footnote 344: So called from the figure of a lily stamped on thecoin; cf. our rose-nobles.]
Whilst she was thus engaged in directing her husband and showing himwhere to scrape, Giannello, who had scarce yet that morning done hisfull desire, when they were interrupted by the mason's coming, seeingthat he could not as he would, bethought himself to accomplish it ashe might; wherefore, boarding her, as she held the mouth of the vatall closed up, on such wise as in the ample plains the unbridledstallions, afire with love, assail the mares of Parthia, he satisfied
his juvenile ardour, the which enterprise was brought to perfectionwell nigh at the same moment as the scraping of the vat; whereupon hedismounted and Peronella withdrawing her head from the mouth of thevat, the husband came forth thereof. Then said she to her gallant,'Take this light, good man, and look if it be clean to thy mind.'Giannello looked in and said that it was well and that he wassatisfied and giving the husband seven florins, caused carry the vatto his own house."