her lips close to his ear and said in a whisper, “Make a show of drinking the wine, but taste it not.”
Giannetto caught the meaning of her words, and entered the room with the lady, who said, “I am sure you must be athirst. Wherefore I will that you take a draught before you lie down to sleep.”
Straightway came two damsels, who were as fair as angels, bearing wine and sweetmeats according to their wont, and making ready thedraught.
Then said Giannetto, “Who could refuse to drink with cupbearers so lovely as these?”
The lady laughed. And Giannetto took the cup and feigned to drink therefrom. But he poured the wine down into hisbreast.
The lady however believed that he had indeed drunk of the same, and said to herself, “Thou wilt sail here again with another ship, for thou hast lost the one in the port.”
Giannetto got into bed and found himself with his wits clear and full of desire, and the time that sped before the lady came to his side seemed a thousand years. He said to himself, “Certes, I have caught her this time, and she shall no longer have reason to think of me as a glutton and a toper[drunkard].”
And, in order to let her come the quicker to bed, he began to snore and to feign to be sleeping. When the lady saw this she said, “All is well.” And she quickly undressed herself and lay down beside Giannetto, who lost no time. But, as soon as the lady was under the sheets, he turned to her and embraced her, saying, “Now I have that which I have so longdesired.”