[004]
While he was thus chaffering, and after he had shewn his purse,
there chanced to come by a Sicilian girl, fair as fair could be, but
ready to pleasure any man for a small consideration. He did not see
her, but she saw him and his purse, and forthwith said to herself:
"Who would be in better luck than I if all those florins were
mine?" and so she passed on. [005]With the girl was an old woman,
also a Sicilian, who, when she saw Andreuccio, dropped behind the
girl, and ran towards him, making as if she would tenderly embrace
him. The girl observing this said nothing, but stopped and waited
a little way off for the old woman to rejoin her.
[006]
Andreuccio turned
as the old woman came up, recognised her, and greeted her very
cordially; but time and place not permitting much converse, she
left him, promising to visit him at his inn; and he resumed his
chaffering, but bought nothing that morning.
