[018]
The maid did her mistress's errand, omitting nothing, to both
the men, and received from each the same answer, to wit, that to
pleasure the lady, he would adventure a journey to hell, to say
nothing of entering a tomb. With which answer the maid returned
to the lady, who waited to see if they would be such fools as to make
it good.
[019]
Night came, and at the hour of first sleep Alessandro
Chiarmontesi, stripped to his doublet, quitted his house, and bent his
steps towards Scannadio's tomb, with intent there to take the dead
man's place. As he walked, there came upon him a great fear,
[020]
and
he fell a saying to himself: Ah! what a fool am I! Whither go
I? How know I that her kinsmen, having detected my love, and
surmising that which is not, have not put her upon requiring this of
me, in order that they may slay me in the tomb? In which event I
alone should be the loser, for nought would ever be heard of it, so
that they would escape scot-free. Or how know I but that 'tis
some machination of one of my ill-wishers, whom perchance she
loves, and is therefore minded to abet?
[021]
And again quoth he to
himself: But allowing that 'tis neither the one nor the other, and
that her kinsmen are really to carry me to her house, I scarce believe
that 'tis either that they would fain embrace Scannadio's corpse themselves,
or let her do so: rather it must be that they have a mind to
perpetrate some outrage upon it, for that, perchance, he once did
them an evil turn. [022]She bids me say never a word, no matter what
I may hear or be otherwise ware of. Suppose they were to pluck
out my eyes, or my teeth, or cut off my hands, or treat me to some
other horse-play of the like sort, how then? how could I keep
quiet?
[023]
And if I open my mouth, they will either recognize me,
and perchance do me a mischief, or, if they spare me, I shall have
been at pains for nought, for they will not leave me with the lady,
and she will say that I disobeyed her command, and I shall never
have aught of her favours.
