No sooner had Zenotia thrown away her infernal preparations, than Antonio recovered his lost health, the colour returned to his cheek, his eyes regained their lustre, and his limbs their strength, to the joy of all his friends. When his father was alone with him he said, "I wish to bestow upon thee some advice my son, which is--never offend God in any way. During the fifteen or sixteen years of thy life I have taught thee the law which my parents taught to me, and that is the Catholic faith, the true one by which alone we can be saved, and which has saved all who have ever embraced it, and will save all who desire to enter the kingdom of Heaven. This law teaches us that we are not to chastise all who offend us, but to advise them to amend their faults; punishment belongs to the Judge, but we may all give reproof and counsel. Whenever thou art tempted to do anything that is contrary to the service of God, thou need'st not bend thy bow, nor launch thy arrows, nor use injurious words, but reject the evil counsel and retire from the opportunity. Thou wilt then come off conqueror, and wilt be safe from again incurring such peril as I have now seen thee in. Thou wert bewitched by Zenotia, and with such potent enchantments, that in less than ten days thou wouldst, little by little, have lost thy life, if God and my good speed had not prevented it. Now, come along with me, and rejoice our friends with the sight of thy recovered health, and we will hear the adventures of Periander, which he is to finish to-night." Antonio promised to attend to his father's counsels with God's help, in spite of all the snares that might beset his path through life. Meanwhile, Zenotia, affronted and grieved by the scorn of the son and the anger of the father, sought how she could avenge her injuries through the means of others, without depriving herself of the presence of her unloving barbarian; and thus meditating, she went to King Polycarp, and said, "you know, sire, that ever since I entered into your house and service, I have tried to serve you with the greatest zeal and attention: you know also, that trusting to my fidelity and truth, you have made me the depositary of all your secrets; and you know well how prudent I am in all peculiar cases, especially if a love affair be in question, and it is on this account I wish to tell you that, in allowing Arnoldo and all his party to go away, you are acting imprudently and unwisely. Tell me, if when present, you cannot gain Auristella's consent, how are you to gain it when she is absent?