daughter of hers, who was with her, and carried him off, as he were a
little child, to her hut, where she put him in a bagnio and so chafed
and bathed him with warm water that the strayed heat returned to him,
together with somewhat of his lost strength. Then, taking him up out
of the bath, whenas it seemed good to her, she comforted him with
somewhat of good wine and confections and tended him some days, as
best she might, till he had recovered his strength and knew where he
was, when she judged it time to restore him his chest, which she had
kept safe for him, and to tell him that he might now prosecute his
fortune.

Landolfo, who had no recollection of the chest, yet took it, when the
good woman presented it to him, thinking it could not be so little
worth but that it might defray his expenses for some days, but,
finding it very light, was sore abated of his hopes. Nevertheless,
what while his hostess was abroad, he broke it open, to see what it
contained, and found therein store of precious stones, both set and
unset. He had some knowledge of these matters and seeing them, knew
them to be of great value; wherefore he praised God, who had not yet
forsaken him, and was altogether comforted. However, as one who had in
brief space been twice cruelly baffled by fortune, fearing a third
misadventure, he bethought himself that it behoved him use great
wariness and he would bring those things home; wherefore, wrapping
them, as best he might, in some rags, he told the good woman that he
had no more occasion for the chest, but that, an it pleased her, she
should give him a bag and take the chest herself. This she willingly
did and he, having rendered her the best thanks in his power for the
kindness received from her, shouldered his bag and going aboard a
bark, passed over to Brindisi and thence made his way, along the
coast, to Trani.

Here he found certain townsmen of his, who were drapers and clad him
for the love of God,[94] after he had related to them all his
adventures, except that of the chest; nay more, they lent him a horse
and sent him, under escort, to Ravello, whither he said he would fain
return. There, deeming himself in safety and thanking God who had
conducted him thither, he opened his bag and examining everything more
diligently than he had yet done, found he had so many and such stones
that, supposing he sold them at a fair price or even less, he was
twice as rich again as when he departed thence. Then