the decameron(十日谈)-第46章

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God　is　my　witnesse；　that　I　am　truly　compassionate　of　you；　and　yet
（by　no　meanes）　may　I　let　you　live。
　　Genevra　kneeling　before　him　weeping；　wringing　her　hands；　thus
replyed。　Wilt　thou　turne　Monster；　and　be　a　murtherer　of　her　that　never
wronged　thee；　to　please　another　man；　and　on　a　bare　command？　God；　who
truly　knoweth　all　things；　is　my　faithfull　witnesse；　that　I　never
committed　any　offence；　whereby　to　deserve　the　dislike　of　my　Husband；
much　lesse　so　harsh　a　recompence　as　this　is。　But　flying　from　mine　owne
justification；　and　appealing　to　thy　manly　mercy；　thou　mayest　（wert
thou　but　so　well　pleased）　in　a　moment　satisfie　both　thy　Master　and　me；
in　such　manner　as　I　will　make　plaine　and　apparant　to　thee。　Take　thou
my　garments；　spare　me　onely　thy　doublet；　and　such　a　Bonnet　as　is
fitting　for　a　man；　so　returne　with　my　habite　to　thy　Master；　assuring
him；　that　the　deede　is　done。　And　here　I　sweare　to　thee；　by　that　life
which　I　enjoy　but　by　thy　mercy；　I　will　so　strangely　disguise　my　selfe；
and　wander　so　far　off　from　these　Countries；　as　neither　he　or　thou；　nor
any　person　belonging　to　these　parts；　shall　ever　heare　any　tydings　of
me。
　　The　servant；　who　had　no　great　good　will　to　kill　her；　very　easily
grew　pittifull；　tooke　off　her　upper　garments；　and　gave　her　a　poore
ragged　doublet；　a　sillie　Chapperone；　and　such　small　store　of　money
as　he　had；　desiring　her　to　forsake　that　Country；　and　so　left　her　to
walke　on　foote　out　of　the　valley。　When　he　came　to　his　Maister；　and　had
delivered　him　her　garments；　he　assured　him；　that　he　had　not　onely
accomplished　his　commaund；　but　also　was　most　secure　from　any
discovery：　because　he　had　no　sooner　done　the　deede；　but　foure　or
five　very　ravenous　Woolves；　came　presently　running　to　the　dead
bodie；　and　gave　it　buriall　in　their　bellyes。　Bernardo　soone　after
returning　to　Geneway；　was　much　blamed　for　such　unkinde　cruelty　to
his　wife；　but　his　constant　avouching　of　her　treason　to　him
（according　then　to　the　Countries　custome）　did　cleare　him　from　all
pursuite　of　Law。
　　Poor　Genevra　was　left　thus　alone　and　disconsolate；　and　night
stealing　fast　upon　her；　shee　went　to　a　silly　village　neere
adjoyning；　where　（by　the　meanes　of　a　good　olde　woman）　she　got　such
provision　as　the　place　afforded；　making　the　doublet　fit　to　her　body；
and　converting　her　petticoate　to　a　paire　of　breeches；　according　to　the
Mariners　fashion：　then　cutting　her　haire；　and　quaintly　disguised
like　unto　a　Saylor；　she　went　to　the　Sea　coast。　By　good　fortune；　she
met　there　with　a　Gentleman　of　Cathalogna；　whose　name　was　Signior
Enchararcho；　who　came　on　land　from　his　Ship；　which　lay　hulling　there
about　Albagia；　to　refresh　himselfe　at　a　pleasant　Spring。　Enchararcho
taking　her　to　be　a　man；　as　shee　appeared　no　otherwise　by　her　habite；
upon　some　conference　passing　betweene　them；　shee　was　entertayned
into　his　service；　and　being　brought　aboord　the　Ship；　she　went　under
the　name　of　Sicurano　da　Finale。　There　shee　had　better　apparrell
bestowne　on　her　by　the　Gentleman；　and　her　service　proved　so　pleasing
and　acceptable　to　him；　that　hee　liked　her　care　and　diligence　beyond
all　comparison。
　　It　came　to　passe　within　a　short　while　after；　that　this　Gentleman
of　Cathalogna　sayled　（with　some　charge　of　his）　into　Alexandria；
carrying　thither　certaine　Faulcons；　which　he　presented　to　the
Soldan；　who　oftentimes　welcommed　this　Gentleman　to　his　table；　where　he
observed　the　behaviour　of　Sicurano；　attending　on　his　Maisters
Trencher；　and　therewith　was　so　highly　pleased；　that　hee　requested　to
have　him　from　the　Gentleman；　who　（for　his　more　advancement）
willingly　parted　with　his　so　lately　entertained　servant。　Sicurano
was　so　ready　and　discreet　in　his　daily　services；　that　he　grew　in　as
great　grace　with　the　Soldan；　as　before　hee　had　done　with　Enchararcho。
　　At　a　certaine　season　in　the　yeare；　as　customary　order　（there
observed）　had　formerly　beene；　in　the　City　of　Acres　which　was　under　the
Soldanes　subjection；　there　yeerely　met　a　great　assembly　of
Merchants；　as　Christians；　Moores；　jewes；　Sarazens；　and　many　other
Nations　besides；　as　at　a　common　Mart　or　Fayre。　And　to　the　end；　that
the　Merchants　（for　the　better　sale　of　their　goods）　might　be　there　in
the　safer　assurance；　the　Soldane　used　to　send　thither　some　of　his
ordinarie　Officers；　and　a　strong　guard　of　Souldiers　beside；　to
defend　them　from　all　injuries　and　molestation；　because　he　reaped
thereby　no　meane　benefit。　And　who　should　be　now　sent　about　this
businesse；　but　his　new　elected　favourite　Sicurano；　because　she　was
skilfull　and。　perfect　in　the　Languages。
　　Sicurano　being　come　to　Acres；　as　Lord　and　Captaine　of　the　Guard
for　the　Merchants；　and　for　the　safety　of　their　Merchandizes；　she
discharged　her　office　most　commendably；　walking　with　her　traine
thorough　every　part　of　the　Fayre；　where　she　observed　a　worthy
company　of　Merchants；　Sicilians；　Pisans；　Genewayes；　Venetians；　and

other　Italians；　whom　the　more　willingly　she　noted；　in　remembrance　of
her　native　Country。　At　one　especiall　time　among　other；　chancing　into　a
Shop　or　Booth　belonging　to　the　Venetians；　she　espied　（hanging　up
with　other　costly　wares）　a　Purse　and　a　Girdle；　which　sodainly　she
remembred　to　be　sometime　her　owne；　whereat　she　was　not　a　little
abashed　in　her　minde。　But　without　making　any　such　outward　shew；
courteously　she　requested　to　know　whose　they　were；　and　whether　they
should　be　sold；　or　no。
　　Ambroginolo　of　Placentia；　was　likewise　come　thither；　and　great　store
of　Merchandizes　hee　had　brought　with　him；　in　a　Carracke　appertaining
to　the　Venetians；　and　hee　hearing　the　Captaine　of　the　Guard　demaund
whose　they　were；　stepped　foorth　before　him；　and　smiling；　answered：
That　they　were　his；　but　not　to　be　solde；　yet　if　hee　liked　them；　gladly
he　would　bestow　them　on　him。　Sicurano　seeing　him　smile；　suspected
least　himselfe　had　（by　some　unfitting　behaviour）　beene　the　occasion
thereof：　and　therefore；　with　a　more　setled　countenance；　hee　said：
Perhaps　thou　smilest；　because　I　that　am　a　man；　professing　Armes；
should　question　after　such　womanish　toyes。　Ambroginolo　replyed；　My
Lord；　pardon　mee；　I　smile　not　at　you；　or　at　your　demaund；　but　at　the
manner　how　I　came　by　these　things。
　　Sicurano；　upon　this　answere；　was　ten　times　more　desirous　then
before；　and　saide：　If　Fortune　favoured　thee　in　friendly　maner；　by
the　obtaining　of　these　things：　if　it　may　be　spoken；　tell　mee　how
thou　hadst　them。　My　Lord　（answered　Ambroginolo）　these　things　（with
many　more　besides）　were　given　me　by　a　Gentlewoman　of　Geneway；　named
Madam　Genevra；　the　wife　to　one　Bernardo　Lomellino；　in　recompence　of
one　nights　lodging　with　her；　and　she　desired　me　to　keepe　them　for
her　sake。　Now；　the　maine　reason　of　my　smiling；　was　the　remembrance
of　her　husbands　folly；　in　waging　five　thousand　Duckets　of　Gold；
against　one　thousand　of　mine；　that　I　should　not　obtaine　my　will　of　his
Wife；　which　I　did；　and　thereby　won　the　wager。　But　hee；　who　better
deserved　to　be　punished　for　his　folly；　then　shee；　who　was　but　sicke　of
all　womens　disease；　returning　from　Paris　to　Geneway；　caused　her　to
be　slaine；　as　afterward　it　was　reported　by　himselfe。
　　When　Sicurano　heard　this　horrible　lye；　immediately　shee　conceived；
that　this　was　the　occasion　of　her　husbands　hatred　to　her；　and　all
the　hard　haps　which　she　had　since　suffered：　whereupon；　shee　reputed　it
for　more　then　a　mortall　sinne；　if　such　a　villaine　should　passe　without
due　punishment。　Sicurano　seemed　to　like　well　this　report；　and　grew
into　such　familiarity　with　Ambroginolo；　that　（by　her　perswasions）　when
the　Fayre　was　ended；　she　tooke　him　higher　with　her　into　Alexandria；
and　all　his　Wares　along　with　him；　furnishing　him　with　a　fit　and
convenient　shop；　where　he　made　great　benefite　of　his　Merchandizes；
trusting　all　his　monies　in　the　Captaines　custody；　because　it　was　the
safest　course　for　him；　and　so　hee　continued　there　with　no　meane
contentment。
　　Much　did　shee　pitty　her　Husbands　perplexity；　devising　by　what　good
and　warrantable　meanes　she　might　make　knowne　her　innocency　to　him；
wherein　her　place　and　authority　did　greatly　sted　her；　and　she
wrought　with　divers　gallant　Merchants　of　Geneway　that　then　remained　in
Alexandria；　and　by　vertue　of　the　Soldans　friendly　letters　beside；　to
bring　him　thither　upon　an　lall　occasio