arnoldo gives an account of all that had happened since he parted with periander and auristella in the isle of hermits.
hippolyta returned home more full of confusion than repentance, thoughtful, and more enamoured than ever, for although it is a fact, generally speaking, that disdain kills love in its first beginning, yet periander's only added fuel to the flame that consumed her. she thought it impossible that a pilgrim could possess a heart of marble, and not soften with the gifts and kindnesses she intended to load him with: but in her heart she said to herself, if this pilgrim was poor he would not wear so rich a cross, the diamonds of which clearly denote his wealth, so that the fortress cannot be attacked on that side. measures more bold and dexterous must be employed to subdue him. is it not possible that his heart is elsewhere engaged? is it not possible that this auristella may not be his sister? is it not possible that the force of the disdain he shows me may have its origin, and be set down to auristella? by heaven, if it be so, i have found my remedy. auristella shall die,—we will discover this witchcraft, at least we shall see the true sentiments of his heart. it shall be carried immediately into effect; auristella shall grow sick; we will take away the light of periander's eyes; we will see if, when her beauty fades, that first cause of love, the love itself will fade also. it may be that when he sees i possess what she has lost, he may leave her, and yield to my tenderness; at least i will try this; there is no harm in trying anything that may lead to the right track.
somewhat comforted by these reflections, she arrived at her own house, where she found zabulon, to whom she confided her intentions, knowing that he had a wife who was noted as the most skilful witch in rome, and she asked him (after first loading him with gifts, and the promise of more) to assist her, not in changing periander's inclinations, since she knew that was hopeless, but in depriving auristella of health, and if necessary, of life also.
zabulon said, it would be an easy matter for a woman who possessed the skill and knowledge of his wife to effect this. he received, as the first payment, a large sum of money, and promised that auristella's health should begin to fail on the following day. hippolyta not only rewarded zabulon, but threatened him besides; and threats and gifts together, would make a jew perform impossibilities.
periander told his friends and auristella the history of his imprisonment and hippolyta's love, and the present he had made the governor of auristella's portrait. auristella felt far from pleased to hear about hippolyta's love, for she had heard of her being considered one of the most beautiful women in rome, one of the freest manners, one of the richest, and one of the cleverest. to a jealous spirit, fear will represent the goblin it has conjured up, as bigger than mount olympus, although, in fact, it may be smaller than a fly; and when the tongue is restrained by decorum and modesty, so as to repress all complaint, the heart torments itself within the bonds of silence, till soul and body are almost ready to part. as i have before observed, there is no other remedy for jealousy but to listen to exculpation, and when this is not permitted there is no comfort in life, and life itself auristella would lose a thousand times, before she would utter one complaint touching the fidelity of periander.
that same evening arnoldo paid the ladies a visit, and gave them an account of everything that had happened since they left him, and, on his return to search for them, he told how he had gone to the hermit's isle, where he did not find rutilio, but another hermit in his place, who informed him that rutilio was gone to rome. he told, too, how he had gone to the island of the fishermen, and found them free, happy, and contented, both the newly-married couples and the others who had embarked with periander. he told how he had heard it reported that polycarpa was dead, and sinforosa had resolved never to marry. then he told about the barbarous isle, that it had been re-peopled, and its inhabitants were still confirmed in their belief of the false prophecy. he had heard that maurice and ladislaus, his son-in-law, with transila, his daughter, had left their own country, and gone to live peacefully in england: then he related how he had been with leopold, the king of norway, after the war was ended; that he had married in order to have a successor to his kingdom, and that he had pardoned the two traitors whom he had taken prisoners when periander and his fishermen fell in with his ship, and that he was very grateful for the courteous treatment he had received at their hands, and, amongst the names he mentioned in these details, sometimes the names of periander's parents occurred, and sometimes those of auristella, which made their hearts beat, and brought to their remembrance alike their grandeur and their misfortunes. he said, that in portugal, and especially in lisbon, their portraits were much valued. he spoke of the great fame of constance's beauty in those parts of france she had travelled in, and also of the french ladies. he had heard, too, of croriano, and the high character he had gained as noble, generous, and wise, in having taken the charming ruperta to wife. in lucca, he had heard the clever contrivance of isabel castrucho much talked about, and her quick falling in love with andrew marulo, and how, by feigning to be a demoniac, she had gained, as she believed, an angel's lot. he had heard of periander's fall, which was considered a miracle, and had met on the road a young pilgrim, a poet, who did not wish to come on with him, but was taking his time and composing a play upon the adventures of periander and auristella, which he knew by heart, having seen a picture in portugal, where it was all painted, and that he was firmly resolved to marry auristella, if she pleased.
auristella declared herself grateful for his kind intentions, and said she would give him a suit of clothes, should he require it, and if by chance his should be ragged, for the kind wish of a good poet deserves reward.
arnoldo further told them that he had been at the house of antonio and constance's parents, who were well, only uneasy in their minds at knowing nothing about the health or safety of their children, and longing for their return, and that they wished for constance to become the wife of the late count's brother, her brother-in-law, who wanted to follow his brother's example and imitate his choice of a wife, either because he did not like to give her the twenty thousand ducats, or because of her own merits, which he thought was most likely.
this news rejoiced them much, especially periander and auristella, who loved constance like a sister.
in the minds of all the hearers of this discourse fresh suspicions arose as to the high rank of the pilgrims. they heard now about counts and ducats, and thought the persons who belonged thereunto must needs be illustrious.
among other things, arnoldo mentioned having met renato in france, the gentleman who had been vanquished in single combat against the right, and afterwards proved to have been wrongfully accused by the conscience of his enemy being awakened. in fact, but few things remained to be mentioned of the many persons whose history has been related; he brought forward everything, up to the picture of auristella, which periander had retained greatly against his inclination and that of the duke, though, not to offend periander, arnoldo concealed his displeasure.
"i should have returned it to you, my lord arnoldo," said periander, "if i had understood that it was yours. accident, and his own exertions, gave it to the duke, from whom you took it by force, and therefore have no right to complain. a man in love must not judge his cause through the medium of his wishes, which sometimes cannot satisfy him and reason; however, i will do what i hope will please and content both you and the duke: the picture shall remain in the hands of my sister auristella, for it belongs more to her than any one else."
this decision satisfied arnoldo, and also auristella, and here the conversation ended. on the following day early, the witchcraft, venoms and incantations of the malignant jewess began their work.
