h I slew
myself, and ripping open her loins, tear from her body, as thou shalt
presently see, that hard and cold heart, wherein nor love nor pity
might ever avail to enter, together with the other entrails, and give
them to the dogs to eat. Nor is it a great while after ere, as God's
justice and puissance will it, she riseth up again, as she had not
been dead, and beginneth anew her woeful flight, whilst the dogs and I
again pursue her. And every Friday it betideth that I come up with her
here at this hour and wreak on her the slaughter that thou shalt see;
and think not that we rest the other days; nay, I overtake her in
other places, wherein she thought and wrought cruelly against me.
Thus, being as thou seest, from her lover grown her foe, it behoveth
me pursue her on this wise as many years as she was cruel to me
months. Wherefore leave me to carry the justice of God into effect and
seek not to oppose that which thou mayst not avail to hinder.'

[Footnote 284: _i.e._ of her sin.]

Nastagio, hearing these words, drew back, grown all adread, with not
an hair on his body but stood on end, and looking upon the wretched
damsel, began fearfully to await that which the knight should do. The
latter, having made an end of his discourse, ran, tuck in hand, as he
were a ravening dog, at the damsel, who, fallen on her knees and held
fast by the two mastiffs, cried him mercy, and smiting her with all
his might amiddleward the breast, pierced her through and through. No
sooner had she received this stroke than she fell grovelling on the
ground, still weeping and crying out; whereupon the knight, clapping
his hand to his hunting-knife, ripped open her loins and tearing forth
her heart and all that was thereabout, cast them to the two mastiffs,
who devoured them incontinent, as being sore anhungred. Nor was it
long ere, as if none of these things had been, the damsel of a sudden
rose to her feet and began to flee towards the sea, with the dogs
after her, still rending her; and in a little while they had gone so
far that Nastagio could see them no more. The latter, seeing these
things, abode a great while between pity and fear, and presently it
occurred to his mind that this might much avail him, seeing that it
befell every Friday; wherefore, marking the place, he returned to his
servants and after, whenas it seemed to him fit, he sent for sundry
of his kinsmen and friends and said to them, 'You have long urged me
leave loving thi