Page 17 - Doralice

making no effort to restrain his unnatural lust,
demanded every day what had become of his
daughter; and, neither finding any trace of her,
or knowing aught where she could be, his rage
became so terrible that he threatened to have
her killed as soon as he should find her.
Early one morning it chanced that Tebaldo went
into the room where the chest was, and as soon

as his eye fell up on it, he felt, from the
associations connected with it, that he could not
any longer endure the sight of it, so he gave
orders that it should straightway be taken out
and placed elsewhere and sold, so that its
presence might not be an offence to him. The
servants were prompt to obey their master's

command, and, having taken the thing on their
shoulders, they bore it away to the market-
place. It chanced that there was at that time in
the city a rich dealer from Genoa, who, as soon
as he caught sight of the sumptuously carved
cassone, admired it greatly, and settled with
himself that he would not let it go from him,
however much he might have to pay for it. So,
having accosted the servant who was charged

with the sale of it, and learnt the price
demanded, he bought it forthwith, and gave
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