g through the chinks of the door. And they heard
the Nurse's voice shrieking, "Jesu Maria! I am a dead woman." The Duke
d'Andria sprang up, leapt upon his sword, and cried:

"Up, Dona Maria! We must leap forth by the window."

But, rushing to the balcony and leaning out, he saw how the street was
guarded and all bristling with pikes.

Thereupon he came back to Dona Maria, which said:

"'Tis the end of all! But know this, I do not regret aught of what I
have done, my dear, dear Lord!"

And he made answer:

"Well and good then, and so be it!" and did haste to don his trunks.

Cracking and crunching under the mighty blows struck by them outside,
the door was meantime a-trembling, and the panels began to gape.

He spake again and said:

"Fain would I know who hath betrayed and sold us thus."

At the instant he was seeking his shoon, the one half of the door gave
way, and a troop of men, bearing arms and torches, threw themselves into
the chamber. The Prince of Venosa was in their midst, shouting: "Have at
the traitor! Kill! Kill!"

Lustily did three swordsmen attack the Duke, but he set him in front of
the bed, where was Dona Maria, and made valiant stand against the
caitiffs.

Six men were there in all, led on by the Prince, being of his bosom
friends every one or his own varlets. Albeit blinded by the dazzle of
the torches, the Duke d'Andria did contrive to parry several thrusts,
and gave back some shrewd blows himself. But catching his foot in the
platters lying on the floor, with the remains of the pasty and
conserves, he fell over backward. Finding himself on his back, a sword's
point at his throat, he did seize the blade in his left hand; the man,
snatching it back, cut off three of his fingers, and the sword was bent.
Then, as the Duke d'Andria was heaving forward his shoulders to rise,
one of the fellows struck him a blow over the head which did break in
the bones of his skull. At this all six did hurl them upon him, and slew
him, lunging with such savage haste they did wound each other.

Whenas the thing was done, the Prince of Venosa bade them stand quietly
aside; and marching upon Dona Maria, which till now had tarried still
beside the bed, he drave her before his sword's point into the corner of
the chamber where was the marriage chest. And there, holding her at bay,
he did hiss in her face one word:

"_Puttana!_" (Harlot!)

Shamed by reason of her nakedness, she went to drag to her some of the