er:--"The Duke is talking and laughing with
Benvenuto, and is in excellent good humor." When the Duchess heard
this, she came immediately to the wardrobe, and not finding the Duke
there, took a seat beside us. After watching us at work a while, she
turned to me with the utmost graciousness, and showed me a necklace of
large and really very fine pearls. On being asked by her what I
thought of them, I said it was in truth a very handsome ornament. Then
she spoke as follows:--"I should like the Duke to buy them for me; so
I beg you, my dear Benvenuto, to praise them to him as highly as you
can." At these words, I disclosed my mind to the Duchess with all the
respect I could, and answered:--"My lady, I thought this necklace of
pearls belonged already to your illustrious Excellency. Now that I am
aware you have not yet acquired them, it is right, nay more, it is my
duty, to utter what I might otherwise have refrained from saying;
namely, that my mature professional experience enables me to detect
very grave faults in the pearls, and for this reason I could never
advise your Excellency to purchase them."

She replied:--"The merchant offers them for six thousand crowns; and
were it not for some of those trifling defects you speak of, the rope
would be worth over twelve thousand."

To this I replied that, even were the necklace of quite flawless
quality, I could not advise any one to bid up to five thousand crowns
for it: for pearls are not gems; pearls are but fishes' bones, which
in the course of time must lose their freshness. Diamonds, rubies,
emeralds, and sapphires, on the contrary, never grow old; these four
are precious stones, and these it is right to purchase. When I had
thus spoken, the Duchess showed some signs of irritation, and
exclaimed, "I have a mind to possess these pearls; so prithee, take
them to the Duke and praise them up to the skies; even if you have to
use some words beyond the bounds of truth, speak them to do me
service; it will be well for you!"

I have always been the greatest friend of truth and foe of lies;
yet compelled by necessity, unwilling to lose the favor of so great
a princess, I took those confounded pearls sorely against my
inclination, and went with them over to the other room, whither the
Duke had withdrawn. No sooner did he set eyes upon me than he cried,
"O Benvenuto, what are you about here?" I uncovered the pearls and
said, "My lord, I am come to show you a most splendid necklac