Salabaetto, the ardour of whose passion had in great measure deprived him of the sagacity which the circumstances demanded, supposed that the tears were genuine enough, and the words even more so.  Wherefore:—­“Madam,” quoth he, “I could not furnish you with a thousand, but if five hundred florins of gold would suffice, they are at your service, if you think you could repay them within fifteen days; and you may deem yourself in luck’s way, for ’twas only yesterday that I sold my woollens, which had I not done, I could not have lent you a groat.”  “Alas” returned the lady, “then thou hast been in straits for money?  Oh! why didst thou not apply to me?  Though I have not a thousand at my command, I could have given thee quite a hundred, nay indeed two hundred florins.  By what thou hast said thou hast made me hesitate to accept the service that thou proposest to render me.”  Which words fairly delivered Salabaetto into the lady’s hands, insomuch that:—­“Madam,” quoth he, “I would not have you decline my help for such a scruple; for had my need been as great as yours, I should certainly have applied to you.”  Quoth then the lady:—­“Ah!  Salabaetto mine, well I wot that the love thou bearest me is a true and perfect love, seeing that, without waiting to be asked, thou dost so handsomely come to my aid with so large a sum of money.  And albeit I was thine without this token of thy love, yet, assuredly, it has made me thine in an even greater degree; nor shall I ever forget that ’tis to thee I owe my brother’s life.  But God knows I take thy money from thee reluctantly, seeing that thou art a merchant, and ’tis by means of money that merchants conduct all their affairs; but, as necessity constrains me, and I have good hope of speedily repaying thee, I will even take it, and by way of security, if I should find no readier method, I will pawn all that I have here.”  Which said, she burst into tears, and fell upon Salabaetto, pressing her cheek upon his.

Salabaetto tried to comfort her; and having spent the night with her, on the morrow, being minded to shew himself her most devoted servant, brought her, without awaiting any reminder, five hundred fine florins of gold:  which she, laughing at heart while the tears streamed from her eyes, took, Salabaetto trusting her mere promise of repayment.  Now that the lady had gotten the money, the complexion of affairs began to alter; and whereas Salabaetto had been wont to have free access to her, whenever he was so minded, now for one reason or another he was denied admittance six times out of seven; nor did she greet him with the same smile, or shower on him the same caresses, or do him the same cheer as of yore.  So a month, two months, passed beyond the time when he was to have been repaid his money; and when he demanded it, he was put off with words.  Whereby Salabaetto, being now ware of the cheat which his slender wit had suffered the evil-disposed woman to put upon him, and also that, having neither writing nor witness against her, he