They enter Rome, and lodge in the house of a Jew named Manasseh.

It aroused the envy and indignation of the three French ladies to find how much more Auristella's portrait was valued by the duke than theirs, which they knew had been brought to him by the servant who was sent to get their pictures for his lord, as has been already related. They heard from him that theirs were much esteemed, but that hers was idolized, a thing which dwelt very heavily upon their hearts, for it is well-known that no beauty can bear to be excelled by another without mortal displeasure; they cannot even bear comparisons, for as the common saying goes, "That all comparisons are odious" in the case of rival beauty, they become doubly odious, unless friendship, relationship, quality, and high station, stand in the way of this accursed jealousy and envy, for such it may well be called.

The servant also told them that the duke, his master, enamoured of the beautiful portrait, had quitted Paris in order to seek out the pilgrim Auristella; that he had seated himself that morning at the foot of a tree, with the picture in his hand, and was discoursing with it as if it had been the living original. That, whilst he was thus occupied, another pilgrim passed by, and looking over his shoulder, could hear what the duke said; "without," said he, "myself or the other servants being able to prevent it, for we were a good way off. We came up at last, and hastened to warn the duke that he was overheard. He turned his head, and saw the pilgrim, who, without speaking a word, snatched the picture from his hand, who, taken unawares, had not time to defend himself, and what I heard him say, at least, all I could make out, was, 'Robber of this celestial prize, profane not with those sacrilegious hands this precious thing. Give up the picture whereon that heavenly beauty is portrayed, both because thou dost not deserve to possess it, and also because it belongs to me.'

"'I say that it does not,' answered the other; 'and if I cannot now find any one to bear witness to the truth of what I say, I will leave it to be decided by the edge of the sword, which I wear concealed within this pilgrim's staff. I am the true and sole possessor of that incomparable beauty, for in far distant lands from these where we now are, I purchased her with my treasures, and worshipped her with my whole heart, and I have served the original of that picture with faithful service, and through many perils and wanderings.'

"Then the duke turning to us, imperiously commanded us to leave them alone, and to come on here, where we were to wait for him, and we were not even to dare to turn round and look what he was about. The other pilgrim gave a similar command to the two servants who attended him. In spite of the orders I had received, I had the curiosity to look back, and I saw the stranger pilgrim hang the picture upon the bough of a tree, and then, as I rather conjectured than actually saw, he drew out of his staff a short sword, or a weapon that looked like one, and attacked my master, who met his attack with another sword, which he also carried hidden in his staff. The servants on both sides wished to interfere and part the combatants, but I was of a different opinion, telling them that as the combat was equal, and between only two persons, without fear or suspicion of help to either side, it was best for us to go on our way, as we had been desired. We came here, prepared the apartments quickly, and in a short space of time returned to see what had been the fate of our masters. We found them as you saw, where, but for your succour, and if you had not arrived, our arrival would have been too late."

So said the servant; and the ladies listened, and felt as if they had indeed been in love with the duke: at the same instant the plan and hope of marrying him, if ever entertained by either of them, entirely vanished, for nothing destroys or blots out love ............