Shortly after, he celebrated his nuptials with Valeria,
and only then learnt the full worth of the treasure
it had been his fortune to obtain. He had a charming
villa, shut in by a shady garden, a short distance
from Ferrara; he moved thither with his wife and her
mother. Then a time of happiness began for them.
Married life brought out in a new and enchanting light
all the perfections of Valeria. Fabio became an
artist of distinction—no longer a mere
amateur, but a real master. Valeria’s mother
rejoiced, and thanked God as she looked upon the happy
pair. Four years flew by unperceived, like a
delicious dream. One thing only was wanting to
the young couple, one lack they mourned over as a sorrow:
they had no children ... but they had not given up
all hope of them. At the end of the fourth year
they were overtaken by a great, this time a real sorrow;
Valeria’s mother died after an illness of a few
days.
Many tears were shed by Valeria; for a long time she
could not accustom herself to her loss. But another
year went by; life again asserted its rights and flowed
along its old channel. And behold, one fine summer
evening, unexpected by every one, Muzzio returned to
Ferrara.
III
During the whole space of five years that had elapsed
since his departure no one had heard anything of him;
all talk about him had died away, as though he had
vanished from the face of the earth. When Fabio
met his friend in one of the streets of Ferrara he
almost cried out aloud, first in alarm and then in
delight, and he at once invited him to his villa.
There happened to be in his garden there a spacious
pavilion, apart from the house; he proposed to his
friend that he should establish himself in this pavilion.
Muzzio readily agreed and moved thither the same day
together with his servant, a dumb Malay—dumb
but not deaf, and indeed, to judge by the alertness
of his expression, a very intelligent man....
His tongue had been cut out. Muzzio brought with
him dozens of boxes, filled with treasures of all
sorts collected by him in the course of his prolonged
travels. Valeria was delighted at Muzzio’s
return; and he greeted her with cheerful friendliness,
but composure; it could be seen in every action that
he had kept the promise given to Fabio. During
the day he completely arranged everything in order
in his pavilion; aided by his Malay, he unpacked the
curiosities he had brought; rugs, silken stuffs, velvet
and brocaded garments, weapons, goblets, dishes and
bowls, decorated with enamel, things made of gold
and silver, and inlaid with pearl and turquoise, carved
boxes of jasper and ivory, cut bottles, spices, incense,
skins of wild beasts, and feathers of unknown birds,
and a number of other things, the very use of which
seemed mysterious and incomprehensible. Among
all these precious things there was a rich pearl necklace,
bestowed upon Muzzio by the king of Persia for some
