chings, they had many a time heard tell of the
happiness and of the misery that are, according to their deserts,
allotted in the next world to the souls of those who die; of which
things desiring to have certain news and finding no way thereto, they
promised one another that whichever of them died first should, an he
might, return to him who abode on life and give him tidings of that
which he would fain know; and this they confirmed with an oath. Having
come to this accord and companying still together, as hath been said,
it chanced that Tingoccio became godfather to a child which one
Ambruogio Anselmini, abiding at Campo Reggi, had had of his wife,
Mistress Mita by name, and from time to time visiting, together with
Meuccio, his gossip who was a very fair and lovesome lady, he became,
notwithstanding the gossipship, enamoured of her. Meuccio, on like
wise, hearing her mightily commended of his friend and being himself
much pleased with her, fell in love with her, and each hid his love
from the other, but not for one same reason. Tingoccio was careful not
to discover it to Meuccio, on account of the naughty deed which
himseemed he did to love his gossip and which he had been ashamed that
any should know. Meuccio, on the other hand, kept himself
therefrom,[358] for that he had already perceived that the lady
pleased Tingoccio; whereupon he said in himself, 'If I discover this
to him, he will wax jealous of me and being able, as her gossip, to
bespeak her at his every pleasure, he will, inasmuch as he may, bring
me in ill savour with her, and so I shall never have of her aught that
may please me.'

[Footnote 358: _i.e._ from discovering to his friend his liking for
the lady.]

Things being at this pass, it befell that Tingoccio, having more
leisure of discovering his every desire to the lady, contrived with
acts and words so to do that he had his will of her, of which Meuccio
soon became aware and albeit it sore misliked him, yet, hoping some
time or other to compass his desire, he feigned ignorance thereof, so
Tingoccio might not have cause or occasion to do him an ill turn or
hinder him in any of his affairs. The two friends loving thus, the one
more happily than the other, it befell that Tingoccio, finding the
soil of his gossip's demesne soft and eath to till, so delved and
laboured there that there overcame him thereof a malady, which after
some days waxed so heavy upon him that, being unable to brook it, he
depar