h, laid
Gabriotto's body thereon, with his head upon a pillow. Then with many
tears she closed his eyes and mouth and weaving him a chaplet of
roses, covered him with all they had gathered, he and she; after which
she said to the maid, 'It is but a little way hence to his house;
wherefore we will carry him thither, thou and I, even as we have
arrayed him, and lay him before the door. It will not be long ere it
be day and he will be taken up; and although this may be no
consolation to his friends, yet to me, in whose arms he died, it will
be a pleasure.' So saying, once more with most abundant tears she cast
herself upon his face and wept a great while. Then, being urged by her
maid to despatch, for that the day was at hand, she rose to her feet
and drawing from her finger the ring wherewith Gabriotto had espoused
her, she set it on his and said, weeping, 'Dear my lord, if thy soul
now seeth my tears or if any sense or cognizance abide in the body,
after the departure thereof, benignly receive her last gift, whom,
living, thou lovedst so well.' This said, she fell down upon him in a
swoon, but, presently coming to herself and rising, she took up,
together with her maid, the cloth whereon the body lay and going forth
the garden therewith, made for his house.

As they went, they were discovered and taken with the dead body by
the officers of the provostry, who chanced to be abroad at that hour
about some other matter. Andrevuola, more desirous of death than of
life, recognizing the officers, said frankly, 'I know who you are and
that it would avail me nothing to seek to flee; I am ready to go with
you before the Seignory and there declare how the case standeth; but
let none of you dare to touch me, provided I am obedient to you, or to
remove aught from this body, an he would not be accused of me.'
Accordingly, without being touched of any, she repaired, with
Gabriotto's body, to the palace, where the Provost, hearing what was
to do, arose and sending for her into his chamber, proceeded to
enquire of this that had happened. To this end he caused divers
physicians look if the dead man had been done to death with poison or
otherwise, who all affirmed that it was not so, but that some
imposthume had burst near the heart, the which had suffocated him. The
magistrate hearing this and feeling her to be guilty in [but] a small
matter, studied to make a show of giving her that which he could not
sell her and told her that, an she