to his wife's chamber,
called to her, saying, 'Quick, wife, get thee up and come see, for
that thy daughter hath been so curious of the nightingale that she
hath e'en taken it and hath it in hand.' 'How can that be?' quoth she;
and he answered, 'Thou shalt see it, an thou come quickly.'
Accordingly, she made haste to dress herself and quietly followed her
husband to the bed, where, the curtain being drawn, Madam Giacomina
might plainly see how her daughter had taken and held the
nightingale, which she had so longed to hear sing; whereat the lady,
holding herself sore deceived of Ricciardo, would have cried out and
railed at him; but Messer Lizio said to her, 'Wife, as thou holdest my
love dear, look thou say not a word, for, verily, since she hath
gotten it, it shall be hers. Ricciardo is young and rich and gently
born; he cannot make us other than a good son-in-law. An he would part
from me on good terms, needs must he first marry her, so it will be
found that he hath put the nightingale in his own cage and not in that
of another.'

The lady was comforted to see that her husband was not angered at the
matter and considering that her daughter had passed a good night and
rested well and had caught the nightingale, to boot, she held her
tongue. Nor had they abidden long after these words when Ricciardo
awoke and seeing that it was broad day, gave himself over for lost and
called Caterina, saying, 'Alack, my soul, how shall we do, for the day
is come and hath caught me here?' Whereupon Messer Lizio came forward
and lifting the curtain, answered, 'We shall do well.' When Ricciardo
saw him, himseemed the heart was torn out of his body and sitting up
in bed, he said, 'My lord, I crave your pardon for God's sake. I
acknowledged to have deserved death, as a disloyal and wicked man;
wherefore do you with me as best pleaseth you; but, I prithee, an it
may be, have mercy on my life and let me not die.' 'Ricciardo,'
answered Messer Lizio, 'the love that I bore thee and the faith I had
in thee merited not this return; yet, since thus it is and youth hath
carried thee away into such a fault, do thou, to save thyself from
death and me from shame, take Caterina to thy lawful wife, so that,
like as this night she hath been thine, she may e'en be thine so long
as she shall live. On this wise thou mayst gain my pardon and thine
own safety; but, an thou choose not to do this, commend thy soul to
God.'

Whilst these words were saying, C