im in his shirt good two miles, still requiring him of
his doublet. Presently, Angiolieri pricking on amain, to rid his ears
of the annoy, Fortarrigo espied some husbandmen in a field, adjoining
the highway in advance of him, and cried out to them, saying, 'Stop
him, stop him!' Accordingly, they ran up, some with spades and others
with mattocks, and presenting themselves in the road before
Angiolieri, concluding that he had robbed him who came crying after
him in his shirt, stopped and took him. It availed him little to tell
them who he was and how the case stood, and Fortarrigo, coming up,
said with an angry air, 'I know not what hindereth me from slaying
thee, disloyal thief that thou wast to make off with my gear!' Then,
turning to the countrymen, 'See, gentlemen,' quoth he, 'in what a
plight he left me at the inn, having first gamed away all his own! I
may well say by God and by you have I gotten back this much, and
thereof I shall still be beholden to you.'

Angiolieri told them his own story, but his words were not heeded;
nay, Fortarrigo, with the aid of the countrymen, pulled him off his
palfrey and stripping him, clad himself in his clothes; then, mounting
to horse, he left him in his shirt and barefoot and returned to Siena,
avouching everywhere that he had won the horse and clothes of
Angiolieri, whilst the latter, who had thought to go, as a rich man,
to the cardinal in the Marches, returned to Buonconvento, poor and in
his shirt, nor dared for shamefastness go straight back to Siena, but,
some clothes being lent him, he mounted the rouncey that Fortarrigo
had ridden and betook himself to his kinsfolk at Corsignano, with whom
he abode till such time as he was furnished anew by his father. On
this wise Fortarrigo's knavery baffled Angiolieri's fair
advisement,[431] albeit his villainy was not left by the latter
unpunished in due time and place."

[Footnote 431: Syn. goodly design of foresight (_buono avviso_).]

THE FIFTH STORY

[Day the Ninth]

CALANDRINO FALLETH IN LOVE WITH A WENCH AND BRUNO WRITETH
HIM A TALISMAN, WHEREWITH WHEN HE TOUCHETH HER, SHE GOETH
WITH HIM; AND HIS WIFE FINDING THEM TOGETHER, THERE BETIDETH
HIM GRIEVOUS TROUBLE AND ANNOY

Neifile's short story being finished and the company having passed it
over without overmuch talk or laughter, the queen turned to Fiammetta
and bade her follow on, to which she replied all blithely that she
would well and began