THE EIGHTH STORY
[Day the Eighth]
TWO MEN CONSORTING TOGETHER, ONE LIETH WITH THE WIFE OF HIS COMRADE, WHO, BECOMING AWARE THEREOF, DOTH WITH HER ON SUCH WISE THAT THE OTHER IS SHUT UP IN A CHEST, UPON WHICH HE LIETH WITH HIS WIFE, HE BEING INSIDE THE WHILE
Elena's troubles had been irksome and grievous to the ladies to hear;natheless, for that they deemed them in part justly befallen her, theypassed them over with more moderate compassion, albeit they held thescholar to have been terribly stern and obdurate, nay, cruel. But,Pampinea being now come to the end of her story, the queen chargedFiammetta follow on, who, nothing loath to obey, said, "Charmingladies, for that meseemeth the severity of the offended scholar hathsomedele distressed you, I deem it well to solace your ruffled spiritswith somewhat more diverting; wherefore I purpose to tell you a littlestory of a young man who received an injury in a milder spirit andavenged it after a more moderate fashion, by which you may understandthat, whenas a man goeth about to avenge an injury suffered, it shouldsuffice him to give as good as he hath gotten, without seeking to dohurt overpassing the behoof of the feud.
You must know, then, that there were once in Siena, as I haveunderstood aforetime, two young men in easy enough case and of goodcity families, whereof one was named Spinelloccio Tanena and the otherZeppa di Mino, and they were next-door neighbours in Camollia.[394]These two young men still companied together and loved each other, toall appearance, as they had been brothers, or better; and each of themhad a very fair wife. It chanced that Spinelloccio, by dint of muchfrequenting Zeppa's house, both when the latter was at home and whenhe was abroad, grew so private with his wife that he ended by lyingwith her, and on this wise they abode a pretty while, before anybecame aware thereof. However, at last, one day, Zeppa being at home,unknown to his wife, Spinelloccio came to call him and the lady saidthat he was abroad; whereupon the other came straightway up into thehouse and finding her in the saloon and seeing none else there, hetook her in his arms and fell to kissing her and she him. Zeppa, whosaw this, made no sign, but abode hidden to see in what the gameshould result and presently saw his wife and Spinelloccio betakethemselves, thus embraced, to a chamber and there lock themselves in;whereat he was sore angered. But, knowing that his injury would notbecome less for making an outcry nor for otherwhat, nay, that shamewould but wax therefor, he set himself to think what revenge he shouldtake thereof, so his soul might abide content, without the thing beingknown all about, and himseeming, after long consideration, he hadfound the means, he abode hidden so long as Spinelloccio remained withhis wife.
[Footnote 394: _Quaere_, the street of that name?]
As soon as the other was gone away, he entered the chamber and therefinding the lady, who had not yet made an end of adjusting herhead-veils, which Spinelloccio had plucked down in dallying with her,said to her, 'Wife, what dost thou?' Quoth she, 'Seest thou not?' AndZeppa answered, 'Ay, indeed, I have seen more than I could wish.' Sosaying, he taxed her with that which had passed and she, in soreaffright, confessed to him, after much parley, that which she couldnot aptly deny of her familiarity with Spinelloccio. Then she began tocrave him pardon, weeping, and Zeppa said to her, 'Harkye, wife, thouhast done ill, and if thou wilt have me pardon it to thee, bethinkthee punctually to do that which I shall enjoin thee, which is this; Iwill have thee bid Spinelloccio find an occasion to part company withme to-morrow morning, towards tierce, and come hither to thee. When heis here I will come back and so soon as thou hearest me, do thou makehim enter this chest here and lock him therein. Then, when thou shalthave done this, I will tell thee what else thou shalt do; and havethou no fear of doing this, for that I promise thee I will do him nomanner of hurt.' The lady, to satisfy him, promised to do his bidding,and so she did.
The morrow come and Zeppa and Spinelloccio being together towardstierce, the latter, who had promised the lady to be with her at thathour, said to the former, 'I am to dine this morning with a friend,whom I would not keep waiting for me; wherefore God be with thee.'Quoth Zeppa, 'It is not dinner-time yet awhile'; but Spinelloccioanswered, 'No matter; I am to speak with him also of an affair ofmine, so that needs must I be there betimes.' Accordingly, takingleave of him, he fetched a compass and making for Zeppa's house,entered a chamber with the latter's wife. He had not been there longere Zeppa returned, whom when the lady heard, feigning to be mightilyaffrighted, she made him take refuge in the chest, as her husband hadbidden her, and locking him therein, went forth of the chamber. Zeppa,coming up, said, 'Wife, is it dinner-time?' 'Ay,' answered she,'forthright.' Quoth he, 'Spinelloccio is gone to dine this morningwith a friend of his and hath left his wife alone; get thee to thewindow and call her and bid her come dine with us.' The lady, fearingfor herself and grown therefor mighty obedient, did as he bade her andSpinelloccio's wife, being much pressed by her and hearing that herown husband was to dine abroad, came hither.
Zeppa made much of her and whispering his wife begone into thekitchen, took her familiarly by the hand and carried her into thechamber, wherein no sooner were they come than, turning back, helocked the door within. When the lady saw him do this, she said,'Alack, Zeppa, what meaneth this? Have you then brought me hither forthis? Is this the love you bear Spinelloccio and the loyalcompanionship you practise towards him?' Whereupon quoth Zeppa,drawing near to the chest wherein was her husband locked up andholding her fast, 'Madam, ere thou complainest, hearken to that whichI have to say to thee. I have loved and love Spinelloccio as abrother, and yesterday, albeit he knoweth it not, I found that thetrust I had in him was come to this, that he lieth with my wife evenas with thee. Now, for that I love him, I purpose not to takevengeance of him, save on such wise as the offence hath been; he hathhad my wife and I mean to have thee. An thou wilt not, needs must Itake him here and for that I mean not to let this affront gounpunished, I will play him such a turn that neither thou nor he shallever again be glad.' The lady, hearing this and believing what Zeppasaid, after many affirmations made her of him, replied, 'Zeppa mine,since this vengeance is to fall on me, I am content, so but thou wiltcontrive, notwithstanding what we are to do, that I may abide at peacewith thy wife, even as I intend to abide with her, notwithstandingthis that she hath done to me.' 'Assuredly,' rejoined Zeppa, 'I willdo it; and to boot, I will give thee a precious and fine jewel as noneother thou hast.' So saying, he embraced her; then, laying her flat onthe chest, there to his heart's content, he solaced himself with her,and she with him.
Spinelloccio, hearing from within the chest all that Zeppa said hiswife's answer and feeling the morrisdance[395] that was toward overhis head, was at first so sore despited that himseemed he should die;and but that he stood in fear of Zeppa, he had rated his wife finely,shut up as he was. However, bethinking himself that the offence hadbegun with him and that Zeppa was in his right to do as he did and hadindeed borne himself towards him humanely and like a comrade, hepresently resolved in himself to be, an he would, more than ever hisfriend. Zeppa, having been with the lady so long as it pleased him,dismounted from the chest, and she asking for the promised jewel, heopened the chamber-door and called his wife, who said nought else than'Madam, you have given me a loaf for my bannock'; and this she saidlaughing. To her quoth Zeppa, 'Open this chest.' Accordingly sheopened it and therein Zeppa showed the lady her husband, saying, 'Hereis the jewel I promised thee.' It were hard to say which was the moreabashed of the twain, Spinelloccio, seeing Zeppa and knowing that heknew what he had done, or his wife, seeing her husband and knowingthat he had both heard and felt that which she had done over his head.But Spinelloccio, coming forth of the chest, said, without moreparley, 'Zeppa, we are quits; wherefore it is well, as thou saidst butnow to my wife, that we be still friends as we were, and that, sincethere is nothing unshared between us two but our wives, we have thesealso in common.' Zeppa was content and they all four dined together inthe utmost possible harmony; and thenceforward each of the two ladieshad two husbands and each of the latter two wives, without ever havingany strife o
r grudge anent the matter."
[Footnote 395: _Danza trivigiana_, lit. Trevisan dance, O.E. theshaking of the sheets.]
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 88
