THE CHRONICLE OF CLEMENDY
being taken after all; and then laughed again saying to herself "Truly these great ladies make an odd choice." As for the poet, his ideas and rational faculties were in a very confused state, and obscured, pleasantly enough, by golden and rosy-coloured clouds which floated in his brain; but before the actual sun had set that night, the sun of love rose for poor Luigi and began to shine upon him and to scorch his heart with a heat that was of the noonday. And whereas the duchess had merely intended to make her husband's conscience prick him, she had made this fierce flame of love lighten the poor scholar, kindling in his breast all manner of desires and cravings which poverty had hitherto effectually subdued, and illuminating his cell with the blaze of that ardent lamp which chows everything so plainly. But her husband made no account of Constance's kindness to Messer Luigi, nor is it clearly ascertained that he so much as saw it, though it became every day more evident to the ladies and nobles of the Court, who began to think there must be rather more in the poor poet than they had suspected. And so long as this strangely matched couple merely sauntered about the walks of the garden before the eyes of all, I don't think much harm was done, though Luigi's compliments were getting rather high-flown and fetched from a tremendous distance, and Constance looked more and more softly upon him, perceiving that his mind was lovelier than his body, though even in this latter she tried to see some excellence and worship. But when it came to the mistress and her servant dropping far behind
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