The Decameron, Volume II

by Giovanni Boccaccio

not how to come by them so soon: had Ibut fifteen days, I would make a shift to raise them in a quarter where Imight raise a much larger sum, or I would sell one of our estates; but,as this may not be, would I had been dead or e'er this bad news hadreached me!" Which said, affecting to be utterly broken-hearted, sheceased not to weep.

  Salabaetto, the ardour of whose passion had in great measure deprived himof the sagacity which the circumstances demanded, supposed that the tearswere genuine enough, and the words even more so. Wherefore:--"Madam,"quoth he, "I could not furnish you with a thousand, but if five hundredflorins of gold would suffice, they are at your service, if you think youcould repay them within fifteen days; and you may deem yourself in luck'sway, for 'twas only yesterday that I sold my woollens, which had I notdone, I could not have lent you a groat." "Alas" returned the lady, "thenthou hast been in straits for money? Oh! why didst thou not apply to me?Though I have not a thousand at my command, I could have given thee quitea hundred, nay indeed two hundred florins. By what thou hast said thouhast made me hesitate to accept the service that thou proposest to renderme." Which words fairly delivered Salabaetto into the lady's hands,insomuch that:--"Madam," quoth he, "I would not have you decline my helpfor such a scruple; for had my need been as great as yours, I shouldcertainly have applied to you." Quoth then the lady:--"Ah! Salabaettomine, well I wot that the love thou bearest me is a true and perfectlove, seeing that, without waiting to be asked, thou dost so handsomelycome to my aid with so large a sum of money. And albeit I was thinewithout this token of thy love, yet, assuredly, it has made me thine inan even greater degree; nor shall I ever forget that 'tis to thee I owemy brother's life. But God knows I take thy money from thee reluctantly,seeing that thou art a merchant, and 'tis by means of money thatmerchants conduct all their affairs; but, as necessity constrains me, andI have good hope of speedily repaying thee, I will even take it, and byway of security, if I should find no readier method, I will pawn all thatI have here." Which said, she burst into tears, and fell upon Salabaetto,pressing her cheek upon his.

  Salabaetto tried to comfort her; and having spent the night with her, onthe morrow, being minded to shew himself her most devoted servant,brought her, without awaiting any reminder, five hundred fine florins ofgold: which she, laughing at heart while the tears streamed from hereyes, took, Salabaetto trusting her mere promise of repayment. Now thatthe lady had gotten the money, the complexion of affairs began to alter;and whereas Salabaetto had been wont to have free access to her, wheneverhe was so minded, now for one reason or another he was denied admittancesix times out of seven; nor did she greet him with the same smile, orshower on him the same caresses, or do him the same cheer as of yore. Soa month, two months, passed beyond the time when he was to have beenrepaid his money; and when he demanded it, he was put off with words.Whereby Salabaetto, being now ware of the cheat which his slender wit hadsuffered the evil-disposed woman to put upon him, and also that, havingneither writing nor witness against her, he was entirely at her mercy inregard of his claim, and being, moreover, ashamed to lodge any complaintwith any one, as well because he had been forewarned of her character, asbecause he dreaded the ridicule to which his folly justly exposed him,was chagrined beyond measure, and inly bewailed his simplicity. And hismasters having written to him, bidding him change the money and remit itto them, he, being apprehensive that, making default as he must, heshould, if he remained there, be detected, resolved to depart; and havingtaken ship, he repaired, not, as he should have done, to Pisa, but toNaples; where at that time resided our gossip, Pietro dello Canigiano,treasurer of the Empress of Constantinople, a man of great sagacity andacuteness, and a very great friend of Salabaetto and his kinsfolk; towhom trusting in his great discretion, Salabaetto after a whilediscovered his distress, telling him what he had done, and the sorryplight in which by consequence he stood, and craving his aid and counsel,that he might the more readily find means of livelihood there, for thathe was minded never to go back to Florence. Impatient to hear of suchfolly:--"'Twas ill done of thee," quoth Canigiano, "thou hast misbehavedthyself, wronged thy masters, and squandered an exorbitant sum inlewdness; however, 'tis done, and we must consider of the remedy." Andindeed, like the shrewd man that he was, he had already bethought himwhat was best to be done; and forthwith he imparted it to Salabaetto.Which expedient Salabaetto approving, resolved to make the adventure; andhaving still a little money, and being furnished with a loan byCanigiano, he provided himself with not a few bales well and closelycorded, and bought some twenty oil-casks, which he filled, and having putall on shipboard, returned to Palermo. There he gave the invoice of thebales, as also of the oil-casks, to the officers of the dogana, andhaving them all entered to his credit, laid them up in the store-rooms,saying that he purposed to leave them there until the arrival of othermerchandise that he expected.

  Which Jancofiore learning, and being informed that the merchandise, thathe had brought with him, was worth fully two thousand florins of gold, oreven more, besides that which he expected, which was valued at more thanthree thousand florins of gold, bethought her that she had not aimed highenough, and that 'twere well to refund him the five hundred, if so shemight make the greater part of the five thousand florins her own.Wherefore she sent for him, and Salabaetto, having learned his lesson ofcunning, waited on her. Feigning to know nought of the cargo he hadbrought with him, she received him with marvellous cheer, andbegan:--"Lo, now, if thou wast angry with me because I did not repay theethy money in due time:" but Salabaetto interrupted her, saying with alaugh:--"Madam 'tis true I was a little vexed, seeing that I would haveplucked out my heart to pleasure you; but listen, and you shall learn thequality of my displeasure. Such and so great is the love I bear you, thatI have sold the best part of all that I possess, whereby I have alreadyin this port merchandise to the value of more than two thousand florins,and expect from the Levant other goods to the value of above threethousand florins, and mean to set up a warehouse in this city, and livehere, to be ever near you, for that I deem myself more blessed in yourlove than any other lover that lives." Whereupon:--"Harkye, Salabaetto,"quoth the lady, "whatever advantages thee is mighty grateful to me,seeing that I love thee more than my very life, and right glad am I thatthou art come back with intent to stay, for I hope to have many a goodtime with thee; but something I must say to thee by way of excuse, forthat, whilst thou wast thinking of taking thy departure, there were timeswhen thou wast disappointed of seeing me, and others when thou hadst notas gladsome a welcome as thou wast wont to have, and therewithal I keptnot the time promised for the repayment of thy money. Thou must know thatI was then in exceeding great trouble and tribulation, and whoso is thusbested, love he another never so much, cannot greet him with as gladsomea mien, or be as attentive to him, as he had lief; and thou must furtherknow that 'tis by no means an easy matter for a lady to come by athousand florins of gold: why, 'tis every day a fresh lie, and never apromise kept; and so we in our turn must needs lie to others; and 'twasfor this cause, and not for any fault of mine, that I did not repay theethy money; however, I had it but a little while after thy departure, andhad I known whither to send it, be sure I would have remitted it to thee;but, as that I wist not, I have kept it safe for thee." She then produceda purse, in which were the very same coins that he had brought her, andplaced it in his hand, saying:--"Count and see if there are five hundredthere." 'Twas the happiest moment Salabaetto had yet known, as, havingtold them out, and found the sum exact, he made answer:--"Madam, I knowthat you say sooth, and what you have done abundantly proves it;wherefore, and for the love I bear you, I warrant you there is no sum youmight ask of me on any occasion of need, with which, if 'twere in mypower, I would not accommodate you; whereof, when I am settled here, youwill be able to assure yourself."

  Having thus in words reinstated himself as her lover, he proceeded totreat her as his mistress, whereto she responded, doing all that was inher power to pleasure and honour him, and feigning to be in the lastdegree enamoured of him. But Salabaetto, bei
ng minded to requite herguile with his own, went to her one evening, being bidden to sup andsleep with her, with an aspect so melancholy and dolorous, that he shewedas he had lief give up the ghost. Jancofiore, as she embraced and kissedhim, demanded of him the occasion of his melancholy. Whereto he, havinglet her be instant with him a good while, made answer:--"I am undone, forthat the ship, having aboard her the goods that I expected, has beentaken by the corsairs of Monaco, and held to ransom in ten thousandflorins of gold, of which it falls to me to pay one thousand, and I havenot a denier, for the five hundred thou repaidst me I sent forthwith toNaples to buy stuffs for this market, and were I to sell the merchandiseI have here, as 'tis not now the right time to