afterwards devour her bodily.”  So encouraged, Calandrino fancied himself already in action, and went about singing and capering in such high glee that ’twas as if he would burst his skin.  And so next day he brought the rebeck, and to the no small amusement of all the company sang several songs to her.  And, in short, by frequently seeing her, he waxed so mad with passion that he gave over working; and a thousand times a day he would run now to the window, now to the door, and anon to the courtyard on the chance of catching sight of her; nor did she, astutely following Bruno’s instructions, fail to afford him abundance of opportunity.  Bruno played the go-between, bearing him her answers to all his messages, and sometimes bringing him messages from her.  When she was not at home, which was most frequently the case, he would send him letters from her, in which she gave great encouragement to his hopes, at the same time giving him to understand that she was at the house of her kinsfolk, where as yet he might not visit her.

On this wise Bruno and Buffalmacco so managed the affair as to divert themselves inordinately, causing him to send her, as at her request, now an ivory comb, now a purse, now a little knife, and other such dainty trifles; in return for which they brought him, now and again, a counterfeit ring of no value, with which Calandrino was marvellously pleased.  And Calandrino, to stimulate their zeal in his interest, would entertain them hospitably at table, and otherwise flatter them.  Now, when they had thus kept him in play for two good months, and the affair was just where it had been, Calandrino, seeing that the work was coming to an end, and bethinking him that, if it did so before he had brought his love affair to a successful issue, he must give up all hopes of ever so doing, began to be very instant and importunate with Bruno.  So, in the presence of the damsel, and by preconcert with her and Filippo, quoth Bruno to Calandrino:—­“Harkye, comrade, this lady has vowed to me a thousand times that she will do as thou wouldst have her, and as, for all that, she does nought to pleasure thee, I am of opinion that she leads thee by the nose:  wherefore, as she keeps not her promises, we will make her do so, willy-nilly, if thou art so minded.”  “Nay, but, for the love of God, so be it,” replied Calandrino, “and that speedily.”  “Darest thou touch her, then, with a scroll that I shall give thee?” quoth Bruno.  “I dare,” replied Calandrino.  “Fetch me, then,” quoth Bruno, “a bit of the skin of an unborn lamb, a live bat, three grains of incense, and a blessed candle; and leave the rest to me.”  To catch the bat taxed all Calandrino’s art and craft for the whole of the evening; but having at length taken him, he brought him with the other matters to Bruno:  who, having withdrawn into a room by himself, wrote on the skin some cabalistic jargon, and handed it to him, saying:—­“Know, Calandrino, that, if thou touch her with this scroll,