e pricks of the
flesh, wherefore she said that each should, whenas she might, privily
give herself a good time, even as it had been done until that day.
Accordingly, setting the young lady free, she went back to sleep with
her priest and Isabetta returned to her lover, whom many a time
thereafter she let come thither, in despite of those who envied her,
whilst those of the others who were loverless pushed their fortunes in
secret, as best they knew."

THE THIRD STORY

[Day the Ninth]

MASTER SIMONE, AT THE INSTANCE OF BRUNO AND BUFFALMACCO AND
NELLO, MAKETH CALANDRINO BELIEVE THAT HE IS WITH CHILD;
WHEREFORE HE GIVETH THEM CAPONS AND MONEY FOR MEDICINES AND
RECOVERETH WITHOUT BRINGING FORTH

After Elisa had finished her story and all the ladies had returned
thanks to God, who had with a happy issue delivered the young nun from
the claws of her envious companions, the queen bade Filostrato follow
on, and he, without awaiting further commandment, began, "Fairest
ladies, the unmannerly lout of a Marchegan judge, of whom I told you
yesterday, took out of my mouth a story of Calandrino and his
companions, which I was about to relate; and for that, albeit it hath
been much discoursed of him and them, aught that is told of him cannot
do otherwise than add to our merriment, I will e'en tell you that
which I had then in mind.

It hath already been clearly enough shown who Calandrino was and who
were the others of whom I am to speak in this story, wherefore,
without further preface, I shall tell you that an aunt of his chanced
to die and left him two hundred crowns in small coin; whereupon he
fell a-talking of wishing to buy an estate and entered into treaty
with all the brokers in Florence, as if he had ten thousand gold
florins to expend; but the matter still fell through, when they came
to the price of the estate in question. Bruno and Buffalmacco, knowing
all this, had told him once and again that he were better spend the
money in making merry together with them than go buy land, as if he
had had to make pellets;[426] but, far from this, they had never even
availed to bring him to give them once to eat. One day, as they were
complaining of this, there came up a comrade of theirs, a painter by
name Nello, and they all three took counsel together how they might
find a means of greasing their gullets at Calandrino's expense;
wherefore, without more delay, having agreed among themselves of that