The Decameron, Volume II

surprised to see the palfrey there, was about to go up the stairs,when he saw Messer Lambertuccio coming down them, and marvelling both athis words and at his mien:--"What means this, Sir?" quoth he. But MesserLambertuccio clapped foot in stirrup, and mounted, saying noughtbut:--"Zounds, but I will meet him elsewhere;" and so he rode off.

  The gentleman then ascended the stairs, at the head of which he found hislady distraught with terror, to whom he said:--"What manner of thing isthis? After whom goes Messer Lambertuccio, so wrathful and menacing?"Whereto the lady, drawing nigher the room, that Leonetto might hear her,made answer:--"Never, Sir, had I such a fright as this. There camerunning in here a young man, who to me is quite a stranger, and at hisheels Messer Lambertuccio with a drawn sword in his hand; and as ithappened the young man found the door of this room open, and trembling inevery limb, cried out:--'Madam, your succour, for God's sake, that I dienot in your arms.' So up I got, and would have asked him who he was, andhow bested, when up came Messer Lambertuccio, exclaiming:--'Where artthou, traitor?' I planted myself in the doorway, and kept him fromentering, and seeing that I was not minded to give him admittance, he wascourteous enough, after not a little parley, to take himself off, as yousaw." Whereupon:--"Wife," quoth the husband, "thou didst very right.Great indeed had been the scandal, had some one been slain here, and'twas a gross affront on Messer Lambertuccio's part to pursue a fugitivewithin the house." He then asked where the young man was. Whereto thelady answered:--"Nay, where he may be hiding, Sir, I wot not."So:--"Where art thou?" quoth the knight. "Fear not to shew thyself." Thenforth of his hiding-place, all of a tremble, for in truth he had beenthoroughly terrified, crept Leonetto, who had heard all that had passed.To whom:--"What hast thou to do with Messer Lambertuccio?" quoth theknight. "Nothing in the world," replied the young man: "wherefore, Idoubt he must either be out of his mind, or have mistaken me for another;for no sooner had he sight of me in the street hard by the palace, thanhe laid his hand on his sword, and exclaimed:--'Traitor, thou art a deadman.' Whereupon I sought not to know why, but fled with all speed, andgot me here, and so, thanks to God and this gentlewoman, I escaped hishands." "Now away with thy fears," quoth the knight; "I will see theehome safe and sound; and then 'twill be for thee to determine how thoushalt deal with him." And so, when they had supped, he set him onhorseback, and escorted him to Florence, and left him not until he wassafe in his own house. And the very same evening, following the lady'sinstructions, Leonetto spoke privily with Messer Lambertuccio, and socomposed the affair with him, that, though it occasioned not a littletalk, the knight never wist how he had been tricked by his wife.

  NOVEL VII.

  --Lodovico discovers to Madonna Beatrice the love that he bears her: shesends Egano, her husband, into a garden disguised as herself, and lieswith Lodovico; who thereafter, being risen, hies him to the garden andcudgels Egano.--

  This device of Madonna Isabella, thus recounted by Pampinea, was heldnothing short of marvellous by all the company. But, being bidden by theking to tell the next story, thus spake Filomena:--Loving ladies, if Imistake not, the device, of which you shall presently hear from me, willprove to be no less excellent than the last.

  You are to know, then, that there dwelt aforetime at Paris a Florentinegentleman, who, being by reason of poverty turned merchant, had prosperedso well in his affairs that he was become very wealthy; and having by hislady an only son, Lodovico by name, whose nobility disrelished trade, hewould not put him in any shop; but that he might be with other gentlemen,he caused him to enter the service of the King of France, whereby heacquired very fine manners and other accomplishments. Being in thisservice, Lodovico was one day with some other young gallants that talkedof the fair ladies of France, and England, and other parts of the world,when they were joined by certain knights that were returned from the HolySepulchre; and hearing their discourse, one of the knights fell a saying,that of a surety in the whole world, so far as he had explored it, therewas not any lady, of all that he had ever seen, that might compare forbeauty with Madonna Beatrice, the wife of Egano de' Galluzzi, of Bologna:wherein all his companions, who in common with him had seen the lady atBologna, concurred. Which report Lodovico, who was as yet fancy-free, nosooner heard, than he burned with such a yearning to see the lady that hewas able to think of nought else: insomuch that he made up his mind tobetake him to Bologna to see her, and if she pleased him, to remainthere; to which end he gave his father to understand that he would fainvisit the Holy Sepulchre, whereto his father after no little demurconsented.

  So to Bologna Anichino--for so he now called himself--came; and, asFortune would have it, the very next day, he saw the lady at a festalgathering, and deemed her vastly more beautiful than he had expected:wherefore he waxed most ardently enamoured of her, and resolved never toquit Bologna, until he had gained her love. So, casting about how heshould proceed, he could devise no other way but to enter her husband'sservice, which was the more easy that he kept not a few retainers: onthis wise Lodovico surmised that, peradventure, he might compass his end.He therefore sold his horses and meetly bestowed his servants, biddingthem make as if they knew him not; and being pretty familiar with hishost, he told him that he was minded to take service with some worthylord, it any such he might find. "Thou wouldst make," quoth the host,"the very sort of retainer to suit a gentleman of this city, Egano byname, who keeps not a few of them, and will have all of them presentablelike thee: I will mention the matter to him." And so he accordingly did,and before he took leave of Egano had placed Anichino with him, toEgano's complete satisfaction.

  Being thus resident with Egano, and having abundant opportunities ofseeing the fair lady, Anichino set himself to serve Egano with no littlezeal; wherein he succeeded so well, that Egano was more than satisfied,insomuch that by and by there was nought he could do without his advice,and he entrusted to him the guidance not only of himself, but of all hisaffairs. Now it so befell that one day when Egano was gone a hawking,having left Anichino at home, Madonna Beatrice, who as yet wist not ofhis love, albeit she had from time to time taken note of him and hismanners, and had not a little approved and commended them, sat herselfdown with him to a game of chess, which, to please her, Anichino mostdexterously contrived to lose, to the lady's prodigious delight. After awhile, the lady's women, one and all, gave over watching their play, andleft them to it; whereupon Anichino heaved a mighty sigh. The lady,looking hard at him, said:--"What ails thee, Anichino? Is it, then, sucha mortification to thee to be conquered by me?" "Nay, Madam," repliedAnichino, "my sigh was prompted by a much graver matter." "Then, if thouhast any regard for me," quoth the lady, "tell me what it is." Hearinghimself thus adjured by "any regard" he had for her whom he loved morethan aught else, Anichino heaved a yet mightier sigh, which caused thelady to renew her request that he would be pleased to tell her theoccasion of his sighs. Whereupon:--"Madam," said Anichino, "I greatlyfear me, that, were I to tell it you, 'twould but vex you; and, moreover,I doubt you might repeat it to some one else." "Rest assured," returnedthe lady, "that I shall neither be annoyed, nor, without thy leave, everrepeat to any other soul aught that thou mayst say." "Then," saidAnichino, "having this pledge from you, I will tell it you." And, whilethe tears all but stood in his eyes, he told her, who he was, the reporthe had heard of her, and where and how he had become enamoured of her,and with what intent he had taken service with her husband: after which,he humbly besought her, that, if it might be, she would have pity on him,and gratify this his secret and ardent desire; and that, if she were notminded so to do, she would suffer him to retain his place there, and loveher. Ah! Bologna! how sweetly mixed are the elements in thy women! Howcommendable in such a case are they all! No delight have they in sighsand tears, but are ever inclinable to prayers, and ready to yield to thesolicitations of Love. Had I but words apt to praise them as theydeserve, my eloquence were inexhaustible.

  The gentlewoman's gaze was fixed on Anichino as he spoke; she made nodoubt that all he said was true, and yielding to his appeal, sheentertai
ned his love within her heart in such measure that she too beganto sigh, and after a sigh or two made answer:--"Sweet my Anichino, be ofgood cheer; neither presents nor promises, nor any courting by gentleman,or lord, or whoso else (for I have been and am still courted by not afew) was ever able to sway my soul to love any of them: but thou, by thefew words that thou hast said, hast so wrought with me that, brief thoughthe time has been, I am already in far greater measure thine than mine.My love I deem thee to have won right worthily; and so I give it thee,and vow to give thee joyance thereof before the coming night be past. Towhich end thou wilt come to my room