[007]
Her old woman's intimate acquaintance with Andreuccio had no
more escaped the girl's notice than the contents of Andreuccio's
purse; and with the view of devising, if possible, some way to make
the money, either in whole or in part, her own, she began cautiously
to ask the old woman, who and whence he was, what he did there,
and how she came to know him.
[008]
The old woman gave her almost
as much and as circumstantial information touching Andreuccio and his
affairs as he might have done himself, for she had lived a great while with
his father, first in Sicily, and afterwards at Perugia. She likewise told
the girl the name of his inn, and the purpose with which he had
come to Naples.
[009]
Thus fully armed with the names and all else that
it was needful for her to know touching Andreuccio's kith and kin,
the girl founded thereon her hopes of gratifying her cupidity, and
forthwith devised a cunning stratagem to effect her purpose. Home
she went, and gave the old woman work enough to occupy her all
day, that she might not be able to visit Andreuccio; then, summoning
to her aid a little girl whom she had well trained for such services,
she sent her about vespers to the inn where Andreuccio lodged.
[010]
Arrived there, the little girl asked for Andreuccio of Andreuccio
himself, who chanced to be just outside the gate. On his answering
that he was the man, she took him aside, and said: "Sir, a lady of
this country, so please you, would fain speak with you."
[011]
Whereto
he listened with all his ears, and having a great conceit of his person,
made up his mind that the lady was in love with him, as if there
were ne'er another handsome fellow in Naples but himself; so forthwith
he replied, that he would wait on the lady, and asked where
and when it would be her pleasure to speak with him.
[012]
"Sir," replied
the little girl, "she expects you in her own house, if you be pleased
to come."
[013]
"Lead on then, I follow thee," said Andreuccio promptly,
vouchsafing never a word to any in the inn.
[014]
So the little girl guided
him to her mistress's house, which was situated in a quarter the
character of which may be inferred from its name, Evil Hole.
Of this, however, he neither knew nor suspected aught, but, supposing
that the quarter was perfectly reputable and that he was going to see
a sweet lady, strode carelessly behind the little girl into the house of
her mistress, whom she summoned by calling out, "Andreuccio is
here;" and Andreuccio then saw her advance to the head of the
stairs to await his ascent.
[015]
She was tall, still in the freshness of her
youth, very fair of face, and very richly and nobly clad. As Andreuccio
approached, she descended three steps to meet him with open
arms, and clasped him round the neck, but for a while stood silent as
if from excess of tenderness; then, bursting into a flood of tears, she
kissed his brow, and in slightly broken accents said: "O Andreuccio,
welcome, welcome, my Andreuccio."
[016]
Quite lost in wonder
to be the recipient of such caresses, Andreuccio could only answer:
"Madam, well met."
[017]
Whereupon she took him by the hand, led
him up into her saloon, and thence without another word into her
chamber, which exhaled throughout the blended fragrance of roses,
orange-blossoms and other perfumes. He observed a handsome curtained
bed, dresses in plenty hanging, as is customary in that country,
on pegs, and other appointments very fair and sumptuous; which
sights, being strange to him, confirmed his belief that he was in the
house of no other than a great lady.
[018]
They sate down side by side
on a chest at the foot of the bed, and thus she began to speak:
"Andreuccio, I cannot doubt that thou dost marvel both at the
caresses which I bestow upon thee, and at my tears, seeing that thou
knowest me not, and, maybe, hast never so much as heard my name;
wait but a moment and thou shalt learn what perhaps will cause thee
to marvel still more, to wit, that I am thy sister; and I tell thee,
that, since of God's especial grace it is granted me to see one, albeit
I would fain see all, of my brothers before I die, I shall not meet
death, when the hour comes, without consolation; but thou, perchance,
hast never heard aught of this; wherefore listen to what I
shall say to thee. [019]Pietro, my father and thine, as I suppose thou
mayst have heard, dwelt a long while at Palermo, where his good
heart and gracious bearing caused him to be (as he still is) much
beloved by all that knew him; but by none was he loved so much as
by a gentlewoman, afterwards my mother, then a widow, who, casting
aside all respect for her father and brothers, ay, and her honour,
grew so intimate with him that a child was born, which child am I,
thy sister, whom thou seest before thee.
[020]
Shortly after my birth it so
befell that Pietro must needs leave Palermo and return to Perugia, and
I, his little daughter, was left behind with my mother at Palermo; nor,
so far as I have been able to learn, did he ever again bestow a thought
upon either of us. Wherefore--to say nothing of the love which he
should have borne me, his daughter by no servant or woman of low
degree--I should, were he not my father, gravely censure the ingratitude
which he shewed towards my mother, who, prompted by a most
loyal love, committed her fortune and herself to his keeping, without so
much as knowing who he was.
[021]
But to what end? The wrongs of
long-ago are much more easily censured than redressed; enough that so
it was.
[022]
He left me a little girl at Palermo, where, when I was grown
to be almost as thou seest me, my mother, who was a rich lady, gave
me in marriage to an honest gentleman of the Girgenti family, who
for love of my mother and myself settled in Palermo, and there, being
a staunch Guelf, entered into correspondence with our King
Charles;
[023]
which being discovered by King Frederic before the time was ripe
for action, we had perforce to flee from Sicily just when I was expecting
to become the greatest lady that ever was in the island. So,
taking with us such few things as we could, few, I say, in comparison
of the abundance which we possessed, we bade adieu to our estates
and palaces, and found a refuge in this country, and such favour with
King Charles that, in partial compensation for the losses which we
had sustained on his account, he has granted us estates and houses and
an ample pension, which he regularly pays to my husband and thy
brother-in-law, as thou mayst yet see. In this manner I live here;
but that I am blest with the sight of thee, I ascribe entirely to the
mercy of God; and no thanks to thee, my sweet brother."
[024]
So saying
she embraced him again, and melting anew into tears kissed his
brow.
