[026]
So the lady suffered the chest to remain in the room; and when
the night was so far spent that Bernabò thought she must be asleep,
he opened it with some tools with which he had provided himself,
and stole softly out. There was a light in the room, so that he was
able to form an idea of its situation, to take note of the pictures and
everything else of consequence that it contained, and to commit the
whole to memory.
[027]
This done, he approached the bed; and observing
that the lady, and a little girl that was with her, were fast asleep, he
gently uncovered her, and saw that nude she was not a whit less
lovely than when dressed: he looked about for some mark that might
serve him as evidence that he had seen her in this state, but found
nothing except a mole, which she had under the left breast, and
which was fringed with a few fair hairs that shone like gold. So
beautiful was she that he was tempted at the hazard of his life to
take his place by her side in the bed;
[028]
but, remembering what he had
heard of her inflexible obduracy in such affairs, he did not venture;
but quietly replaced the bedclothes; and having passed the best part
of the night very much at his ease in her room, he took from one of
the lady's boxes a purse, a gown, a ring and a girdle, and with these
tokens returned to the chest, and locked himself in as before. In
this manner he passed two nights, nor did the lady in the least
suspect his presence.
[029]
On the third day the good woman came by
preconcert to fetch her chest, and took it back to the place whence
she had brought it. So Ambrogiuolo got out, paid her the stipulated
sum, and hied him back with all speed to Paris, where he arrived
within the appointed time.
[030]
Then, in presence of the merchants
who were witnesses of his altercation with Bernabò, and the
wager
to which it had given occasion, he told Bernabò that he had won
the bet, having done what he had boasted that he would do; and in
proof thereof he first of all described the appearance of the room and
the pictures, and then displayed the articles belonging to the lady
which he had brought away with him, averring that she had given
them to him.
[031]
Bernabò acknowledged the accuracy of his description
of the room, and that the articles did really belong to his wife, but
objected that Ambrogiuolo might have learned characteristic features
of the room from one of the servants, and have come by the things
in a similar way, and therefore, unless he had something more to say,
he could not justly claim to have won the bet.
[032]
"Verily," rejoined
Ambrogiuolo, "this should suffice; but, as thou requirest that I say
somewhat further, I will satisfy thee. I say, then, that Madam
Zinevra, thy wife, has under her left breast a mole of some size,
around which are, perhaps, six hairs of a golden hue."
[033]
As Bernabò
heard this, it was as if a knife pierced his heart, so poignant was his
suffering; and, though no word escaped him, the complete alteration
of his mien bore unmistakable witness to the truth of Ambrogiuolo's
words. After a while he said: "Gentlemen, 'tis even as Ambrogiuolo
says; he has won the bet; he has but to come when
he will, and he shall be paid."
[034]
And so the very next day
Ambrogiuolo was paid in full, and Bernabò, intent on wreaking
vengeance on his wife, left Paris and set his face towards Genoa.
He had no mind, however, to go home, and accordingly halted at an
estate which he had some twenty miles from the city, whither he
sent forward a servant, in whom he reposed much trust, with two
horses and a letter advising the lady of his return, and bidding her
come out to meet him. At the same time he gave the servant
secret instructions to choose some convenient place, and ruthlessly
put the lady to death, and so return to him.
[035]
On his arrival at
Genoa the servant delivered his message and the letter to the lady,
who received him with great cheer, and next morning got on
horseback and set forth with him for her husband's estate.
[036]So they
rode on, talking of divers matters, until they came to a deep gorge,
very lonely, and shut in by high rocks and trees. The servant,
deeming this just the place in which he might without risk of
discovery fulfil his lord's behest, whipped out a knife, and seizing
the lady by the arm, said: "Madam, commend your soul to God,
for here must end at once your journey and your life."
[037]
Terror-stricken
by what she saw and heard, the lady cried out: "Mercy
for God's sake; before thou slay me, tell me at least wherein I have
wronged thee, that thou art thus minded to put me to death."
[038]
"Madam," said the servant, "me you have in no wise wronged;
but your husband--how you may have wronged him I know not--charged
me shew you no mercy, but to slay you on this journey,
and threatened to have me hanged by the neck, should I not do so.
You know well how bound I am to him, and that I may not
disobey any of his commands: God knows I pity you, but yet I can
no otherwise."
[039]
Whereat the lady burst into tears, saying: "Mercy
for God's sake; make not thyself the murderer of one that has done
thee no wrong, at the behest of another. The all-seeing God knows
that I never did aught to merit such requital at my husband's hands.
[040]
But enough of this for the present: there is a way in which thou
canst serve at once God and thy master and myself, if thou wilt do
as I bid thee: take, then, these clothes of mine and give me in
exchange just thy doublet and a hood; and carry the clothes with
thee to my lord and thine, and tell him that thou hast slain me;
and I swear to thee by the life which I shall have received at thy
hands, that I will get me gone, and there abide whence news of me
shall never reach either him or thee or these parts."
[041]
The servant,
being loath to put her to death, soon yielded to pity; and so he took
her clothes, allowing her to retain a little money that she had, and
gave her one of his worser doublets and a hood; then, praying her
to depart the country, he left her afoot in the gorge, and returned
to his master, whom he gave to understand that he had not only
carried out his orders but had left the lady's body a prey to wolves.
Bernabò after a while returned to Genoa, where, the supposed
murder being bruited abroad, he was severely censured.
