sooth, seeing that she has caught him, he shall be hers.  Ricciardo is a gentleman and wealthy; an alliance with him cannot but be to our advantage:  if he would part from me on good terms, he must first marry her, so that the nightingale shall prove to have been put in his own cage and not in that of another.”  Whereby the lady was reassured, seeing that her husband took the affair so quietly, and that her daughter had had a good night, and was rested, and had caught the nightingale.  So she kept silence; nor had they long to wait before Ricciardo awoke; and, seeing that ’twas broad day, deemed that ’twas as much as his life was worth, and aroused Caterina, saying:—­“Alas! my soul, what shall we do, now that day has come and surprised me here?” Which question Messer Lizio answered by coming forward, and saying:—­“We shall do well.”  At sight of him Ricciardo felt as if his heart were torn out of his body, and sate up in the bed, and said:—­“My lord, I cry you mercy for God’s sake.  I wot that my disloyalty and delinquency have merited death; wherefore deal with me even as it may seem best to you:  however, I pray you, if so it may be, to spare my life, that I die not.”  “Ricciardo,” replied Messer Lizio, “the love I bore thee, and the faith I reposed in thee, merited a better return; but still, as so it is, and youth has seduced thee into such a transgression, redeem thy life, and preserve my honour, by making Caterina thy lawful spouse, that thine, as she has been for this past night, she may remain for the rest of her life.  In this way thou mayst secure my peace and thy safety; otherwise commend thy soul to God.”  Pending this colloquy, Caterina let go the nightingale, and having covered herself, began with many a tear to implore her father to forgive Ricciardo, and Ricciardo to do as Messer Lizio required, that thereby they might securely count upon a long continuance of such nights of delight.  But there needed not much supplication; for, what with remorse for the wrong done, and the wish to make amends, and the fear of death, and the desire to escape it, and above all ardent love, and the craving to possess the beloved one, Ricciardo lost no time in making frank avowal of his readiness to do as Messer Lizio would have him.  Wherefore Messer Lizio, having borrowed a ring from Madonna Giacomina, Ricciardo did there and then in their presence wed Caterina.  Which done, Messer Lizio and the lady took their leave, saying:—­“Now rest ye a while; for so perchance ’twere better for you than if ye rose.”  And so they left the young folks, who forthwith embraced, and not having travelled more than six miles during the night, went two miles further before they rose, and so concluded their first day.  When they were risen, Ricciardo and Messer Lizio discussed the matter with more formality; and some days afterwards Ricciardo, as was meet, married the damsel anew in presence of their friends and kinsfolk, and brought her home with great pomp, and celebrated his nuptials with due dignity and splendour.  And so for many a year thereafter he lived with her in peace and happiness, and snared the nightingales day and night to his heart’s content.