Page 33 - Doralice

the same room as your children.' The good
Doralice, in her pure and simple nature, never
suspected the accursed design of the feigned
merchant, and, yielding to the persuasion of
her attendants, granted his request.
But before the merchant was led to the
sleeping chamber, certain ladies of the court
deemed it wise to offer him a cup of wine well

drugged to make him sleep sound, and when
night had come and the merchant seemed over
come with fatigue, one of the ladies conducted
him into the chamber of the king's children,
where there was prepared for him a
sumptuous couch. Before she left him the lady
said,' Good man, are you not thirsty ' 'Indeed I

am,' he replied; whereupon she handed him
the drugged wine in a silver cup; but the
crafty Tebaldo, while feigning to drink the
wine, spilled it over his garments, and then lay
down to rest.
Now there was in the children's room a side
door through which it was possible to pass
into the queen's apartment. At midnight,
when all was still, Tebaldo stole through this,

and, going up to the bed beside which the
queen had left her clothes, he took away a
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