R
THE HUSBAND BEATETH AND CUTTETH OFF HER HAIR, THEN FETCHETH
HIS WIFE'S BROTHERS, WHO, FINDING HIS STORY [SEEMINGLY]
UNTRUE, GIVE HIM HARD WORDS

It seemed to them all that Madam Beatrice had been extraordinarily
ingenious in cozening her husband and all agreed that Anichino's
fright must have been very great, whenas, being the while held fast by
the lady, he heard her say that he had required her of love. But the
king, seeing Filomena silent, turned to Neifile and said to her, "Do
you tell"; whereupon she, smiling first a little, began, "Fair ladies,
I have a hard task before me if I desire to pleasure you with a goodly
story, as those of you have done, who have already told; but, with
God's aid, I trust to discharge myself thereof well enough.

You must know, then, that there was once in our city a very rich
merchant called Arriguccio Berlinghieri, who, foolishly thinking, as
merchants yet do every day, to ennoble himself by marriage, took to
wife a young gentlewoman ill sorting with himself, by name Madam
Sismonda, who, for that he, merchant-like, was much abroad and
sojourned little with her, fell in love with a young man called
Ruberto, who had long courted her, and clapped up a lover's privacy
with him. Using belike over-little discretion in her dealings with her
lover, for that they were supremely delightsome to her, it chanced
that, whether Arriguccio scented aught of the matter or how else
soever it happened, the latter became the most jealous man alive and
leaving be his going about and all his other concerns, applied himself
well nigh altogether to the keeping good watch over his wife; nor
would he ever fall asleep, except he first felt her come into the bed;
by reason whereof the lady suffered the utmost chagrin, for that on no
wise might she avail to be with her Ruberto.

However, after pondering many devices for finding a means to
foregather with him and being to boot continually solicited thereof by
him, it presently occurred to her to do on this wise; to wit, having
many a time observed that Arriguccio tarried long to fall asleep, but
after slept very soundly, she determined to cause Ruberto come about
midnight to the door of the house and to go open to him and abide with
him what while her husband slept fast. And that she might know when he
should be come, she bethought herself to hang a twine out of the
window of her bedchamber, which looked upon the street, on such wise
that none