oinment of his discreet nurse.

[Footnote 107: More familiar to modern ears as Doria.]

Accordingly, the two boys and their nurse abode patiently in Messer
Guasparrino's house several years, ill-clad and worse shod and
employed about the meanest offices. But Giannotto, who was now sixteen
years of age, and had more spirit than pertained to a slave, scorning
the baseness of a menial condition, embarked on board certain galleys
bound for Alexandria and taking leave of Messer Guasparrino's service,
journeyed to divers parts, without any wise availing to advance
himself. At last some three or four years after his departure from
Genoa, being grown a handsome youth and tall of his person and hearing
that his father, whom he thought dead, was yet alive, but was kept by
King Charles in prison and duresse, he went wandering at a venture,
well nigh despairing of fortune, till he came to Lunigiana and there,
as chance would have it, took service with Currado Malespina, whom he
served with great aptitude and acceptance. And albeit he now and again
saw his mother, who was with Currado's lady, he never recognized her
nor she him, so much had time changed the one and the other from that
which they were used to be, whenas they last set eyes on each other.

Giannotto being, then, in Currado's service, it befell that a daughter
of the latter, by name Spina, being left the widow of one Niccolo da
Grignano, returned to her father's house and being very fair and
agreeable and a girl of little more than sixteen years of age, chanced
to cast eyes on Giannotto and he on her, and they became passionately
enamoured of each other. Their love was not long without effect and
lasted several months ere any was ware thereof. Wherefore, taking
overmuch assurance, they began to order themselves with less
discretion than behoveth unto matters of this kind, and one day, as
they went, the young lady and Giannotto together, through a fair and
thickset wood, they pushed on among the trees, leaving the rest of the
company behind. Presently, themseeming they had far foregone the
others, they laid themselves down to rest in a pleasant place, full of
grass and flowers and shut in with trees, and there fell to taking
amorous delight one of the other.

In this occupation, the greatness of their delight making the time
seem brief to them, albeit they had been there a great while, they
were surprised, first by the girl's mother and after by Currado, who,
chagrin