ll cast myself into the fire, let alone otherwhat.'
'Well, then,' said her mistress, 'I would have thee lie to-night with
a man in my bed and load him with caresses, but take good care not to
say a word, lest thou be heard by my brothers, who, as thou knowest,
sleep in the next room; and after I will give thee the shift.' Quoth
Ciutazza, 'With all my heart. I will lie with half a dozen men, if
need be, let alone one.' Accordingly, at nightfall, my lord the rector
made his appearance, according to agreement, whilst the two young men,
by the lady's appointment, were in their bedchamber and took good care
to make themselves heard; wherefore he entered the lady's chamber in
silence and darkness and betook himself, as she had bidden him,
straight to the bed, whither on her part came Ciutazza, who had been
well lessoned by the lady of that which she had to do. My lord rector,
thinking he had his mistress beside him, caught Ciutazza in his arms
and fell to kissing her, without saying a word, and she him; whereupon
he proceeded to solace himself with her, taking, as he thought,
possession of the long-desired good.

[Footnote 378: _i.e._ in the malaria district.]

[Footnote 379: _i.e._ great ugly Ciuta.]

The lady, having done this, charged her brothers carry the rest of the
plot into execution, wherefore, stealing softly out of the chamber,
they made for the great square and fortune was more favorable to them
than they themselves asked in that which they had a mind to do,
inasmuch as, the heat being great, the bishop had enquired for the two
young gentlemen, so he might go a-pleasuring to their house and drink
with them. But, seeing them coming, he acquainted them with his wish
and returned with them to their house, where, entering a cool little
courtyard of theirs, in which were many flambeaux alight, he drank
with great pleasure of an excellent wine of theirs. When he had
drunken, the young men said to him, 'My lord, since you have done us
so much favour as to deign to visit this our poor house, whereto we
came to invite you, we would have you be pleased to view a small
matter with which we would fain show you.' The bishop answered that he
would well; whereupon one of the young men, taking a lighted flambeau
in his hand, made for the chamber where my lord rector lay with
Ciutazza, followed by the bishop and all the rest. The rector, to
arrive the quicklier at his journey's end, had hastened to take horse
and had already ri