ed beyond measure at this sight, without saying aught of the
cause, had them both seized by three of his serving-men and carried in
bonds to a castle of his and went off, boiling with rage and despite
and resolved to put them both to a shameful death. The girl's mother,
although sore incensed and holding her daughter worthy of the severest
punishment for her default, having by certain words of Currado
apprehended his intent towards the culprits and unable to brook this,
hastened after her enraged husband and began to beseech him that it
would please him not run madly to make himself in his old age the
murderer of his own daughter and to soil his hands with the blood of
one of his servants, but to find other means of satisfying his wrath,
such as to clap them in prison and there let them pine and bewail the
fault committed. With these and many other words the pious lady so
wrought upon him that she turned his mind from putting them to death
and he bade imprison them, each in a place apart, where they should be
well guarded and kept with scant victual and much unease, till such
time as he should determine farther of them. As he bade, so was it
done, and what their life was in duresse and continual tears and in
fasts longer than might have behoved unto them, each may picture to
himself.

What while Giannotto and Spina abode in this doleful case and had
therein already abidden a year's space, unremembered of Currado, it
came to pass that King Pedro of Arragon, by the procurement of Messer
Gian di Procida, raised the island of Sicily against King Charles and
took it from him, whereat Currado, being a Ghibelline,[108] rejoiced
exceedingly, Giannotto, hearing of this from one of those who had him
in guard, heaved a great sigh and said, 'Ah, woe is me! These fourteen
years have I gone ranging beggarlike about the world, looking for
nought other than this, which, now that it is come, so I may never
again hope for weal, hath found me in a prison whence I have no hope
ever to come forth, save dead.' 'How so?' asked the gaoler. 'What doth
that concern thee which great kings do to one another? What hast thou
to do in Sicily?' Quoth Giannotto, 'My heart is like to burst when I
remember me of that which my father erst had to do there, whom, albeit
I was but a little child, when I fled thence, yet do I mind me to have
been lord thereof, in the lifetime of King Manfred.' 'And who was thy
father?' asked the gaoler. 'My father's name,' an