The Hoodwinked Husband

Captain Antonio Moro, a Venetian seafaring gentleman of great vigor and good looks, was walking with a friend along a canal when he saw a woman so beautiful, so sensuous, so altogether desirable, that he turned to his companion and said: "I must have her!"

"For shame, Antonio," replied his friend. "That wench is the wife of one of your own sailors, Marco de Cursola."

"Indeed? ... No matter. I must have her. I will have her."

"Marco is jealous ..."

"And stupid."

"He adores her ..."

"So do I."

"He keeps her under lock and key ..."

"Love laughs, they say, at locksmiths."

"Antonio----"

"Yes?"

"I say you will not have her."

"I say I will." Antonio smiled at the woman.

"Will you wager?"

"I will."

"You are that certain?"

"I am."

"What will you wager?"

"The price of a fine dinner, Saturday next, for you and I and all our friends -- at the best inn on the canal."

"No more?"

"No more. I'm not," Antonio smiled, "that certain!"

• • •

There was an old woman Antonio knew, a go-between he had often used to carry messages of passion to lovely ladies. She was cunning, efficient, and entirely discreet -- providing she was paid enough. Antonio was not wealthy, but what money he had he scraped together. "Go to Marco de Cursola's wife," he told the old crone. "Tell her the handsome captain who smiled at her on the canal today is aflame with love, consumed with desire ... you know the sort of thing." The old woman nodded, smiling toothlessly. "Then tell her he knows a way to take pleasure with her without any danger from her husband. Ask her to give you her answer: a straight yes or no, without coquettry. Do you understand?" The old woman nodded. "That is all." She did not leave. "Ah, yes," said Antonio, putting a half-empty bag of gold into her hand. "You will get the other half when you return with the answer." The old woman turned to go. "But only," warned Antonio, "if the answer is yes!"

The old one left on her mission; Antonio waited, not without impatience, and when she returned, he questioned her closely about the lady's answer. He was told that the charmer was eager to know him better, but fearful of her jealous husband's wrath. "Tell her," said Antonio, "that she need have no fear. Tell her, in fact, that I will come to her tonight. As for her husband: she may leave him to me. Go now and tell her these things." And he gave her the remainder of the gold.

Humming gaily to himself, Antonio now sought out Marco de Cursola. He found him in his fishing boat, which was tied up along the dock. "Marco!" he called. "How fares it with you?"

"Captain Antonio!" grinned Marco. "Well met!"

"Well met indeed," replied Antonio. "You can do me a service, if you will."

"Gladly, sir."

"I am meeting a lady tonight ..."

"Ah, sir, you were ever a rogue!"

"... and I am in need of transportation. However, my funds are low and I cannot afford a gondola. Can you lend me your boat and your strong rowing arm?"

"With pleasure. Where shall we meet?"

"Here. At sundown."

That evening, as Marco rowed him slowly along the canal, Antonio chatted of love matters, sang scraps of amorous song, and told bawdy jests. There was a pleasant breeze stirring the air. At length, the wily captain said, "Stop in front of this house." Marco did so, and Antonio climbed out of the boat. "Wait for me here," he told Marco, and he entered a nearby domicile.

Now the cleverest part of Antonio's strategy went into operation. He had already paid the owners of several houses small sums for the privilege of entering through the front door and leaving through the back. In a few minutes, by this device, he was knocking on the door of Marco's own house and being received by the arms of Marco's own wife.

Quickly, but with high satisfaction, they enjoyed together the full and delicious ending of their amorous desires. Then, after making plans for a similar liaison the following evening, they parted, and Antonio returned, by the same devious route, to the spot where (concluded on page 87)Hoodwinked Husband (continued from, page 52) Marco was waiting in his fishing boat.

"Ah, Captain!" cried Marco. "I am glad you are here. For as I sat here, imagining the high sport you must be enjoying, my blood grew restive and it was all I could do to keep from rowing away and taking a taste of my wife! I very nearly did so, in fact -- but I knew how disappointed you would have been to find your transportation gone."

At these words. Antonio grew slightly pale, for he realized he had come dangerously close to discovery. Rallying, however, he said, "Why, my good fellow! Are you married? I had no idea. If I had but known, I would have told you to enjoy her by all means and then return for me."

"What, sir?" asked Marco. "Did you not know I recently wed a girl so beautiful, so sensuous, so altogether desirable that she arouses a craving in all who look upon her?"

"No, you lucky rascall But see here: wives, however fair they may be, must be reckoned as part of the regular furniture of the house, something to serve our pleasant uses whenever we may stand in need. But married or unmarried, we lusty men must always be on the look-out for some fresh morsel. Nature demands it! Therefore, when you bring me to this place tomorrow evening, I will return to the boat with the lady -- so that we both may enjoy her. Eh? What do you say?"

Marco was overcome with delight.

The next evening, he had draped his boat with carpets and canopies, improving its appearance and increasing its privacy. He docked at the same place; Antonio got out, repeated his journey of the previous night, and returned in a short time with a heavily-veiled young woman. Marco waited patiently while the two made merry within the canopied enclosure. Then, after a while, Antonio came out and said: "Now then, Marco, she's yours. And a sweet bit of sauce she is, indeed! Although I have never seen the wife of whom you spoke yesternight, I am sure the lady within is her equal in beauty and ardor. One thing, however, good Marco my friend: do not, I beseech you, attempt to lift her veil or make speech with her, or in any other way try to learn her identity. It would be the undoing of us both."

Marco's brow creased at this. "I do not understand ..."

"I did not mean to tell you," Antonio said in a whisper, "since the fewer who know, the better. But because you are puzzled, I will reveal to you that this lady is no less a personage than the daughter of the Doge, and she meets us here in great peril of her father's wrath. Can you conceive our fate if word of this got out, or if you incurred her disfavor by lifting her veil? The rack, the thumbscrew! Therefore. Marco, enjoy her quickly and in silence."

Terrified at the dangers Antonio had painted. Marco joined the veiled lady and took his pleasure of her in five minutes, returning to Antonio full of praise for her accomplishments. "Not only is she the equal of my wife," he declared: "she surpasses her! But Captain: before you return this highborn lady to the shore, please tell me how I may repay you for this enjoyment you have given me tonight?"

Antonio, somewhat embarrassed, said, "Repay me, Marco? There is no need."

"I insist, sir! Such sport as this cannot be found at any price in the finest bawdy houses in Venice! What can I do for you in return?"

"Well," said Antonio, "I have planned a dinner on Saturday for some friends, but as you know, my funds are low. If you could possibly loan me ..."

"Say no more!" said Marco. "And speak not of loans. It will be my pleasure to provide the price of a fine dinner, Saturday next, for you and I and all our friends -- at the best inn on the canal!"

"We shall both enjoy her," said Antonio