[040]
Arriguccio was lost, as it were, in a dream, and yet he would fain have spoken; but,
seeing that what he had thought to prove was
otherwise, he essayed no reply.
[041]
So the lady turning to her brothers: "I
see," quoth she, "what he would have: he will not be satisfied unless I do what I
never would otherwise have done, to wit, give you to know what a pitiful caitiff he is; as
now I shall not fail to do. I make no manner of doubt that, as he has said, even so it
befell, and so he did. How, you shall hear.
[042]
This worthy man, to whom, worse
luck! you gave me to wife, a merchant, as he calls himself, and as such would fain have
credit, and who ought to be more temperate than a religious, and more continent than a
girl, lets scarce an evening pass but he goes a boozing in the taverns, and consorting
with this or the other woman of the town; and 'tis for me to await his return
until midnight or sometimes until matins, even as you now find me. [043]I doubt not
that, being thoroughly well drunk, he got him to bed with one of these wantons, and,
awaking, found the packthread on her foot, and afterwards did actually perform all these
brave exploits of which he speaks, and in the end came back to her, and
beat her, and cut her hair off, and being not yet quite recovered from his debauch,
believed, and, I doubt not, still believes, that 'twas I that he thus treated; and if you
will but scan his face closely, you will see that he is still half drunk.
[044]
But,
whatever he may have said about me, I would have you account it as nothing more than the
disordered speech of a tipsy man; and forgive him as I do."
[045]
Whereupon the
lady's mother raised no small outcry, saying: "By the Holy Rood, my daughter, this may
not be! A daughter, such as thou, to be mated with one so unworthy of thee! The pestilent,
insensate cur should be slain on the spot! A pretty state of things, indeed! Why, he might
have picked thee up from the gutter!
[046]
Now foul fall him! but thou shalt no more
be vexed with the tedious drivel of a petty dealer in ass's dung, some blackguard, belike,
that came hither from the country because he was dismissed the service of some petty
squire, clad in romagnole, with belfry-breeches, and a pen in his arse, and, for that he
has a few pence, must needs have a gentleman's daughter,
and a fine lady to wife, and set up a coat of arms, and say:
[047]
'I am of the such
and such,' and 'my ancestors did thus and thus.' Ah! had my sons but followed my advice!
Thy honour were safe in the house of the Counts Guidi, where they might have bestowed
thee, though thou hadst but a morsel of bread to thy dowry: but they must needs give thee
to this rare treasure, who, though better daughter and more chaste there is none than thou
in Florence, has not blushed this very midnight and in our presence to call thee a
strumpet, as if we knew thee not. God's faith! so I were hearkened
to, he should shrewdly smart for it."
[048]
Then, turning to her sons, she said:
"My sons, I told you plainly enough that this ought not to be. Now, have you heard how
your worthy brother-in-law treats your sister? Petty twopenny trader that he is: were it
for me to act, as it is for you, after what he has said of her and done to her, nought
would satisfy or appease me, till I had rid the earth of him. And were I a man, who am but
a woman, none other but myself should meddle with the affair. God's curse
upon him, the woeful, shameless sot!"
[049]
Whereupon the young men, incensed by
what they had seen and heard, turned to Arriguccio, and after giving him the soundest
rating that ever was bestowed upon caitiff, concluded as follows: "This once we pardon
thee, witting thee to be a drunken knave: but as thou holdest thy life dear, have a care
that
henceforth we hear no such tales of thee; for rest assured that if aught of the kind do
reach our ears, we will requite thee for both turns." Which said, they
departed.
[050]
Arriguccio, standing there like one dazed, not witting whether his
late doings were actual fact or but a dream, made no more words about the matter, but left
his wife in peace. Thus did she by her address not only escape imminent peril, but open a
way whereby in time to come she was able to gratify her passion to the full without any
farther fear of her husband.
