I let you know that Signor Guido is going out of the city, and will be gone several days. Therefore I pray you come this evening about seven o'clock. And when you are under the window cough and wait a little while, that I may not make a mistake. He goes away Monday morning, etc.
My dearest and Most Deserving Well-beloved:
I give the infinite thanks of Rosalinda, etc. I wish you to know that he makes me signals along the Via del Poggio, etc., and not because I wish to make proof of your love, which I know very well. You are as constant as myself, and therefore I do not wish to make these proofs, etc. So that you cannot say that I no longer love you, because all my good wishes for Signor Guido are turned to you, who deserve it.
Amarillis.
Letter of the Lover.
My adored Signora:
I wish to know whether you can leave Sunday evening, that is, to-morrow evening, for if you do not go away to-morrow evening, God knows when you shall be able to do so, because of the scarcity of carriages, owing to the fact that on Wednesday the Bishop departs with three carriages. Therefore, if you can go, as soon as you have read this letter of mine, return to the window and throw it to me as a sign that I may reserve a carriage beforehand, which may be secured from some one or other. If I secure the carriage to-morrow, in passing along there I will let fall my handkerchief one time only. Then for the rest, to-morrow evening I will wait from eight o'clock in the evening on as long as necessary. And as soon as you see that they are sound asleep, open the door for me, that I may help you make up your bundles and collect the money. Above all, try to put some into all their cups, and do not yourself drink it. And if by ill luck they shall find it out, and shall threaten you with death, open indeed the door, that I may die with you or free you from their hands. And praying God that he will make this design of ours turn out well, I declare myself as ever.
Your Most Faithful Servant and Lover,
Mirtillo.
It is a very bad sign that the Jealous One seems pacified, and that he has said you were at the window. Because he will wish to find out in that way what you are doing at the window, and for what purpose you are there. For Conti has told me that now he is more jealous than at first, and that if he find out about anything, he will wish to avenge himself by putting us to death. He wishes to do the same to me, and that is what will happen. Here then has come at last the breaking of the chord.