Page 172 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

The Decameron to you to dishonor me, but now it is clear he was just testing you." You should know that there once lived in our city a very wealthy

merchant named Arriguccio Berlinghieri. Foolishly, as merchants often
do, thinking to gain gentility through marriage, he married a young
"God be praised," said the lady, "that he tested me with words
gentlewoman named Monna Sismonda, who was not suited to him.
and you with actions. I doubt not he will say I bore his words with
Monna Sismonda, seeing that her husband was often away and gave
more patience than you did his actions. Since he is so loyal to you,
her little company, became enamored with a young gallant named
we must honor him." "Indeed," said Egano, "you speak the truth."

and, perhaps using too little discretion, for she was extremely fond of
Thus, Egano was convinced that he had the most loyal wife and
servant. He had many hearty laughs with Anichino and his lady Ruberto, who had long courted her. She grew quite familiar with him
him. It so happened that Arriguccio, whether he detected something
over this affair, which allowed them to enjoy each other's company or for some other reason, became extremely jealous. He gave up going
with far less hindrance for as long as Anichino stayed in Bologna. abroad, changed his way of life, and made it his sole care to watch
over his wife, never allowing himself to sleep until he had seen her to
bed. This caused the lady great distress, as it was impossible for her
to be with Ruberto.
The Seventh Day | The Eighth Novell
Desperate to find a way to meet him, and urged on by Ruberto, she
Storyteller: Neifile
devised a plan. Her room faced the street, and she noticed that
Arriguccio had difficulty falling asleep but slept very soundly once he
Arriguccio Berlinghieri, a wealthy merchant, marries Monna
did. She arranged with Ruberto that he should come to the front door
Sismonda, who falls in love with Ruberto. Arriguccio becomes
around midnight, where she would go down, open the door, and spend
jealous and watches over Sismonda. She plans to meet Ruberto
some time with him while her husband was in a deep sleep. To receive
secretly, but Arriguccio discovers it and mistakenly beats his wife's
news of his arrival without anyone else knowing, she lowered a pack-
maid. Sismonda's cleverness saves her, and she continues her affair.
thread from the bedroom window so that one end almost touched the
ground, while the other end traversed the floor of the room, reached
the bed, and was brought under the covers to her great toe. When
she was in bed, she attached it to her toe. She told Ruberto that when
he came, he should jerk the pack-thread. If her husband was asleep,
she would loosen it and go to him; if he was awake, she would hold
it taut and draw it to herself to signal that he should not expect her.

Ruberto agreed and came many times, sometimes meeting her and
sometimes not. One night, while the lady slept, Arriguccio, letting
his foot stray more than usual, found the pack-thread and, laying his
hand on it, discovered it was attached to his wife's toe. Suspecting a
trick, he found that the thread passed out of the window, confirming
his suspicion. He softly severed it from her toe and attached it to his
1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE own, waiting to see what would happen. Soon, Ruberto came and
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
168
The Decameron