l, hearing this, was woeful for that God had not
chosen to vouchsafe her the death she sought, and being in fear of
shame and knowing not what to do, she seated herself at the foot of
her bark and fell a-weeping.

[Footnote 272: _i.e._ knew not whether she was ashore or afloat, so
absorbed was she in her despair.]

The good woman, seeing this, took pity upon her and brought her, by
dint of entreaty, into a little hut of hers and there so humoured her
that she told her how she came thither; whereupon, seeing that she
was fasting, she set before her her own dry bread and somewhat of fish
and water and so besought her that she ate a little. Costanza after
asked her who she was that she spoke Latin thus; to which she answered
that she was from Trapani and was called Carapresa and served certain
Christian fishermen there. The girl, hearing the name of Carapresa,
albeit she was exceeding woebegone and knew not what reason moved her
thereunto, took it unto herself for a good augury to have heard this
name[273] and began to hope, without knowing what, and somewhat to
abate of her wish to die. Then, without discovering who or whence she
was, she earnestly besought the good woman to have pity, for the love
of God, on her youth and give her some counsel how she might escape
any affront being offered her.

[Footnote 273: Or "augured well from the hearing of the name."
_Carapresa_ signifies "a dear or precious prize, gain or capture."]

Carapresa, like a good woman as she was, hearing this, left her in her
hut, whilst she hastily gathered up her nets; then, returning to her,
she wrapped her from head to foot in her own mantle and carried her to
Susa, where she said to her, 'Costanza, I will bring thee into the
house of a very good Saracen lady, whom I serve oftentimes in her
occasions and who is old and pitiful. I will commend thee to her as
most I may and I am very certain that she will gladly receive thee and
use thee as a daughter; and do thou, abiding with her, study thine
utmost, in serving her, to gain her favour, against God send thee
better fortune.' And as she said, so she did. The lady, who was well
stricken in years, hearing the woman's story, looked the girl in the
face and fell a-weeping; then taking her by the hand, she kissed her
on the forehead and carried her into her house, where she and sundry
other women abode, without any man, and wrought all with their hands
at various crafts, doing divers works of silk and