Part 3: Chapters 21-23 Summary

In Chapter 21, Bucino finally discovers a clue to the missing ruby from their arrival in Venice. The Jew comes to their home and tells him who came to sell it to them: a young woman, who said she was doing it on behalf of her employer. Disheartened, Bucino knows that the chances of ever tracking down the real jewel are almost none. Going to tell Fiammetta, though, he discovers that she is in bed with a lover: not a paying customer, but rather a young man who was at first a customer, but who is now enjoying the courtesan's favors for free.

Furious, Bucino confronts Fiammetta in Chapter 22. However, she is equally angry with him, not only for spying on her, but also for trying to exert control over her "personal" life. Angered, Bucino goes out into the streets...