ere than to journey on to Gualdo, I
drew rein before that humble door, and got down from my wearied horse.
Despite the early hour the door was already barred, for the bedding of
travellers formed no part of the traffic of so lowly a house as this
nameless, wayside wine-shop. Theirs was a trade that ended with the
daylight. Nevertheless I was assured they could be made to find me a rag
of straw to lie on, and so I knocked boldly with my whip.

The taverner who opened for me, and stood a moment surveying me by the
light of the torch he held aloft, was a slim, mild-mannered man, not
over-clean. Behind him surged the figure of his wife; just such a woman
as you might look to find the mate of such a man: broad and tall of
frame and most scurvily cross-grained of face. It may well be that had
he bidden me welcome, she had driven me back into the night; but since
he made some demur when I asked for lodging, and protested that in his
house was but accommodation too rude to offer my magnificence, the woman
thrust him aside, and loudly bade me enter.

I obeyed her readily, hat on head and cloak about me, lest my interests
should suffer were my trade disclosed. I bade the man see to my horse,
and then escorted by the woman, I made my way to the single room
above, which, in obedience to my demand, she made haste to set at my
convenience.

It was an evil-smelling, squalid hole; a bed of wattles in a corner, and
in the centre a greasy table with a three-legged stool and a crazy chair
beside it. The floor was black with age and filth, and broken everywhere
by rat-holes. She set her noisome, smoking oil lamp on the table, and
with some apology for the rudeness of the chamber she asked in tones
almost defiant if my excellency would be content.

"Perforce," said I ungraciously, perceiving surliness to be the key to
the respect of such a creature; "a king might thank Heaven for a kennel
on such a night as this."

She bent her back in a clumsy bow, and with a growing humility wondered
had I supped. I had not, but sooner would I have starved than have
been poisoned by such foulnesses as they might have set before me. So I
answered her that all I needed was a cup of wine.

When she had brought me that, and, at last, I was alone, I closed the
door. It had no lock, nor any sort of fastening, so I set the three
legged stool against it that it might give me warning of intrusion. Next
I threw off my cloak and hat and boots, and all dressed