withdrew to one part of the garden, to do their
pleasure, leaving Stramba and Lagina in another.

[Footnote 250: _i.e._ to attend the ecclesiastical function called a
Pardon, with which word, used in this sense, Meyerbeer's opera of
Dinorah (properly Le Pardon de Ploermel) has familiarized opera-goers.
A Pardon is a sort of minor jubilee of the Roman Catholic Church, held
in honour of some local saint, at which certain indulgences and
remissions of sins (hence the name) are granted to the faithful
attending the services of the occasion.]

[Footnote 251: _i.e._ Bandy-legs.]

Now in that part of the garden, whither Pasquino and Simona had
betaken themselves, was a very great and goodly bush of sage, at the
foot whereof they sat down and solaced themselves together a great
while, holding much discourse of a collation they purposed to make
there at their leisure. Presently, Pasquino turned to the great
sage-bush and plucking a leaf thereof, began to rub his teeth and gums
withal, avouching that sage cleaned them excellent well of aught that
might be left thereon after eating. After he had thus rubbed them
awhile, he returned to the subject of the collation, of which he had
already spoken, nor had he long pursued his discourse when he began
altogether to change countenance and well nigh immediately after lost
sight and speech, and in a little while he died. Simona, seeing this,
fell to weeping and crying out and called Stramba and Lagina, who ran
thither in haste and seeing Pasquino not only dead, but already grown
all swollen and full of dark spots about his face and body, Stramba
cried out of a sudden, 'Ah, wicked woman! Thou hast poisoned him.'
Making a great outcry, he was heard of many who dwelt near the garden
and who, running to the clamour, found Pasquino dead and swollen.

Hearing Stramba lamenting and accusing Simona of having poisoned him
of her malice, whilst she, for dolour of the sudden mishap that had
carried off her lover, knew not how to excuse herself, being as it
were beside herself, they all concluded that it was as he said; and
accordingly she was taken and carried off, still weeping sore, to the
Provost's palace, where, at the instance of Stramba and other two
comrades of Pasquino, by name Atticciato and Malagevole, who had come
up meanwhile, a judge addressed himself without delay to examine her
of the fact and being unable to discover that she had done malice in
the matter or was anywise guilty, h