The Decameron (Day 6 to Day 10): Containing an hundred pleasant NovelsBoccaccio, Giovanni
History
The Decameron (Day 6 to Day 10): Containing an hundred pleasant Novels
Boccaccio, Giovanni
Allegories; Frame stories; Plague -- Europe -- History -- Fiction; Storytelling -- Fiction
While _Cheta_ thus continued on these amorous courses, it fortuned,
that her slye suspitious husband, beganne to perceive, that though shee
drunke very much with him, yea, untill he was quite spent and gone:
yet she remained fresh and sober still, and thereby imagined strange
matters, that he being fast asleepe, his wife then tooke advantage of
his drowsinesse, and might ---- and so forth. Beeing desirous to make
experience of this his distrust, hee returned home at night (not having
drunke any thing all the whole day) dissembling both by his words and
behaviour, as if he were notoriously drunke indeede. Which his Wife
constantly beleeving, saide to her selfe: That hee had now more neede
of sleepe, then drinke; getting him immediately into his warme bed; and
then going downe the staires againe, softly went out of doores unto her
Friends house, as formerly she had used to do, and there shee remained
untill midnight.
_Tofano_ perceiving that his Wife came not to bed, and imagining to
have heard his doore both open and shut: arose out of his bed, and
calling his Wife _Cheta_ divers times, without any answere returned:
hee went downe the staires, and finding the doore but closed too, made
it fast and sure on the inside, and then got him up to the window, to
watch the returning home of his wife, from whence shee came, and then
to make her conditions apparantly knowne. So long there he stayed,
till at the last she returned indeede, and finding the doore so surely
shut, shee was exceeding sorrowfull, essaying how she might get it
open by strength: which when _Tofano_ had long suffered her in vaine
to approove, thus hee spake to her. _Cheta, Cheta,_ all thy labour is
meerely lost, because heere is no entrance allowed for thee; therefore
return to the place from whence thou camest, that all thy friends may
judge of thy behaviour, and know what a night-walker thou art become.
The woman hearing this unpleasing language, began to use all humble
entreaties, desiring him (for charities sake) to open the doore and
admit her entrance, because she had not bin in any such place, as his
jelous suspition might suggest to him: but onely to visit a weak &
sickly neighbour, the nights being long, she not (as yet) capable of
sleepe, nor willing to sit alone in the house. But all her perswasions
served to no purpose, he was so setled in his owne opinion, that all
the Town should now see her nightly gading, which before was not
so much as suspected. _Cheta_ seeing, that faire meanes would not
prevaile, shee entred into roughe speeches and threatnings, saying: If
thou wilt not open the doore and let me come in, I will so shame thee,
as never base man was. As how I pray thee? answered _Tofano_, what
canst thou do to me?
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