Page 161 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

But my pride would never allow it because I was not born of a woman too, and look, there is a bit left here." While she was in this posture, directing
of that sort. And now you come home when you should be at work." and admonishing her husband, Giannello, who had not fully satisfied his
desire that morning when the husband arrived, now seeing that he could
The husband replied, "Wife, wife, for God's sake, don't distress not do as he wished, resolved to take his pleasure as he might. He made
yourself. You should give me credit for knowing what kind of woman up to the lady, who completely blocked the vent of the tub, and, like wild
you are, as I have partly seen this morning. True, I went out to work, and lusty horses amorously assailing the mares of Parthia, he sated his
but you didn't know, as I didn't, that today is the feast of San Galeone, youthful appetite. Almost at the same moment that he did so and was off,
a holiday, and that's why I am home at this hour. Nevertheless, I have the tub was scoured, the husband came out of it, and Peronella withdrew
found a way to provide us with bread for more than a month. I have her head from the vent. Turning to Giannello, she said, "Take this light,
sold the tub you know of to this gentleman here for five gigliats." good man, and see if it is scoured to your satisfaction." Giannello looked
into the tub, said it was in good trim, and that he was well content. He paid
Peronella said, "And this only adds to my trouble. You, a man who goes the husband the seven gigliats and had him carry the tub to his house.
abroad and should know affairs, sold the tub for five gigliats, while I, a
woman who is scarcely ever out of doors, sold it for seven gigliats to a
good man who just now got into it to see if it was sound." Hearing this,
the husband was overjoyed and said to the man who had come to take The Seventh Day | The Third Novell
it away, "Good man, I wish you Godspeed, for as you hear, my wife has Storyteller: Elissa
sold the tub for seven gigliats, whereas you gave me only five." The man
replied, "So be it," and left. Peronella then said to her husband, "Now Friar Reynard, falling in love with a gentlewoman married to a
that you are here, come up and arrange the matter with the good man." respected man, found a way to become her close friend. One day,
while they were conversing intimately in her chamber, her husband
Giannello, who had been alert to discover if there was anything to fear, arrived suddenly. She cleverly made her husband believe Friar
no sooner heard Peronella's last words than he sprang out of the tub Reynard was there to cure their godson of a dangerous disease.
and, feigning ignorance of her husband's return, began, "Where are
you, good dame?" The husband, coming up, answered, "Here I am.
What do you want?" Giannello said, "And who are you? I want to speak
with the lady with whom I struck the bargain for this tub." The husband
said, "Have no fear; you can deal with me, for I am her husband."
Giannello said, "The tub seems sound enough, but I think you must
have let the lees remain in it, for it is all encrusted with something so
dry that I cannot raise it with my nail. I am not minded to take it unless
I first see it scoured." Peronella said, "To be sure, that shall not hinder
the bargain; my husband will scour it clean." The husband agreed.

He laid down his tools, stripped to his vest, sent for a light and a rasp, and
got into the tub, scraping away. Peronella, as if curious to see what he did,
thrust her head into the vent of the tub, which was not very large, and one 1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
of her arms up to the shoulder, saying, "Scrape here, and here, and there 29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
157
The Decameron