150) in this special
sense.]

When the day came and Girolamo was found dead before his own door,
great was outcry, especially on the part of his mother, and the
physicians having examined him and searched his body everywhere, but
finding no wound nor bruise whatsoever on him, it was generally
concluded that he had died of grief, as was indeed the case. Then was
the body carried into a church and the sad mother, repairing thither
with many other ladies, kinswomen and neighbours, began to weep
without stint and make sore moan over him, according to our usance.
What while the lamentation was at it highest, the good man, in whose
house he had died, said to Salvestra, 'Harkye, put some mantlet or
other on thy head and get thee to the church whither Girolamo hath
been carried and mingle with the women and hearken to that which is
discoursed of the matter; and I will do the like among the men, so we
may hear if aught be said against us.' The thing pleased the girl, who
was too late grown pitiful and would fain look upon him, dead, whom,
living, she had not willed to pleasure with one poor kiss, and she
went thither. A marvellous thing it is to think how uneath to search
out are the ways of love! That heart, which Girolamo's fair fortune
had not availed to open, his illhap opened and the old flames reviving
all therein, whenas she saw the dead face it[254] melted of a sudden
into such compassion that she pressed between the women, veiled as she
was in the mantlet, and stayed not till she won to the body, and
there, giving a terrible great shriek, she cast herself, face
downward, on the dead youth, whom she bathed not with many tears, for
that no sooner did she touch him than grief bereaved her of life, even
as it had bereft him.

[Footnote 254: _i.e._ her heart.]

The women would have comforted her and bidden her arise, not yet
knowing her; but after they had bespoken her awhile in vain, they
sought to lift her and finding her motionless, raised her up and knew
her at once for Salvestra and for dead; whereupon all who were there,
overcome with double pity, set up a yet greater clamour of
lamentation. The news soon spread abroad among the men without the
church and came presently to the ears of her husband, who was amongst
them and who, without lending ear to consolation or comfort from any,
wept a great while; after which he recounted to many of those who were
there the story of that which had befallen that night between th