rbing the violence of their
anger, demanded of her how that had been whereof Arriguccio accused
her, threatening her sore, and she told them not all. Quoth she, 'I
know not what you would have me say nor of what Arriguccio can have
complained to you of me.' Arriguccio, seeing her thus, eyed her as if
he had lost his wits, remembering that he had dealt her belike a
thousand buffets on the face and scratched her and done her all the
ill in the world, and now he beheld her as if nothing of all this had
been.

Her brothers told her briefly what they had heard from Arriguccio,
twine and beating and all, whereupon she turned to him and said,
'Alack, husband mine, what is this I hear? Why wilt thou make me pass,
to thine own great shame, for an ill woman, where as I am none, and
thyself for a cruel and wicked man, which thou art not? When wast thou
in this house to-night till now, let alone with me? When didst thou
beat me? For my part, I have no remembrance of it.' 'How, vile woman
that thou art!' cried he. 'Did we not go to bed together here? Did I
not return hither, after running after thy lover? Did I not deal thee
a thousand buffets and cut off thy hair?' 'Thou wentest not to bed in
this house to-night,' replied Sismonda. 'But let that pass, for I can
give no proof thereof other than mine own true words, and let us come
to that which thou sayest, to wit, that thou didst beat me and cut off
my hair. Me thou hast never beaten, and do all who are here and thou
thyself take note of me, if I have any mark of beating in any part of
my person. Indeed, I should not counsel thee make so bold as to lay a
hand on me, for, by Christ His Cross, I would mar thy face for thee!
Neither didst thou cut off my hair, for aught that I felt or saw; but
haply thou didst it on such wise that I perceived it not; let me see
if I have it shorn or no.' Then, putting off her veil from her head,
she showed that she had her hair unshorn and whole.

Her mother and brothers, seeing and hearing all this, turned upon her
husband and said to him, 'What meanest thou, Arriguccio? This is not
that so far which thou camest to tell us thou hadst done, and we know
not how thou wilt make good the rest.' Arriguccio stood as one in a
trance and would have spoken; but, seeing that it was not as he
thought he could show, he dared say nothing; whereupon the lady,
turning to her brothers, said to them, 'Brothers mine, I see he hath
gone seeking to have me do what I ha