Now, while thus he sped the time with her, it befell that the lady’s husband, albeit she nowise expected him, came home, and, as he drew nigh the palace, was observed by the maid, who forthwith ran to the lady’s chamber, and said:—­“Madam, the master will be here anon; I doubt he is already in the courtyard.”  Whereupon, for that she had two men in the house, and the knight’s palfrey, that was in the courtyard, made it impossible to hide him, the lady gave herself up for dead.  Nevertheless she made up her mind on the spur of the moment, and springing out of bed “Sir,” quoth she to Messer Lambertuccio, “if you have any regard for me, and would save my life, you will do as I bid you:  that is to say, you will draw your blade, and put on a fell and wrathful countenance, and hie you downstairs, saying:—­’By God, he shall not escape me elsewhere.’  And if my husband would stop you, or ask you aught, say nought but what I have told you, and get you on horseback and tarry with him on no account.”  “To hear is to obey,” quoth Messer Lambertuccio, who, with the flush of his recent exertion and the rage that he felt at the husband’s return still on his face, and drawn sword in hand, did as she bade him.  The lady’s husband, being now dismounted in the courtyard, and not a little surprised to see the palfrey there, was about to go up the stairs, when he saw Messer Lambertuccio coming down them, and marvelling both at his words and at his mien:—­“What means this, Sir?” quoth he.  But Messer Lambertuccio clapped foot in stirrup, and mounted, saying nought but:—­“Zounds, but I will meet him elsewhere;” and so he rode off.

The gentleman then ascended the stairs, at the head of which he found his lady distraught with terror, to whom he said:—­“What manner of thing is this?  After whom goes Messer Lambertuccio, so wrathful and menacing?” Whereto the lady, drawing nigher the room, that Leonetto might hear her, made answer:—­“Never, Sir, had I such a fright as this.  There came running in here a young man, who to me is quite a stranger, and at his heels Messer Lambertuccio with a drawn sword in his hand; and as it happened the young man found the door of this room open, and trembling in every limb, cried out:—­’Madam, your succour, for God’s sake, that I die not in your arms.’  So up I got, and would have asked him who he was, and how bested, when up came Messer Lambertuccio, exclaiming:—­’Where art thou, traitor?’ I planted myself in the doorway, and kept him from entering, and seeing that I was not minded to give him admittance, he was courteous enough, after not a little parley, to take himself off, as you saw.”  Whereupon:—­“Wife,” quoth the husband, “thou didst very right.  Great indeed had been the scandal, had some one been slain here, and ’twas a gross affront on Messer Lambertuccio’s part to pursue a fugitive within the house.”  He then asked where the young man was.  Whereto the lady answered:—­“Nay, where he may be hiding, Sir, I wot not.”