-
"They Invited A Number Of Their Kindred To An Entertainment, Which They
Took Care To Have Prepared With Great State
And splendour in that house
of theirs; and when the hour arrived for sitting down to table they came
forth
Of their chamber all three clothed in crimson satin, fashioned in
long robes reaching to the ground such as people in those days wore
within doors. And when water for the hands had been served, and the
guests were set, they took off those robes and put on others of crimson
damask, whilst the first suits were by their orders cut up and divided
among the servants. Then after partaking of some of the dishes they went
out again and came back in robes of crimson velvet, and when they had
again taken their seats, the second suits were divided as before. When
dinner was over they did the like with the robes of velvet, after they
had put on dresses of the ordinary fashion worn by the rest of the
company.[5] These proceedings caused much wonder and amazement among the
guests. But when the cloth had been drawn, and all the servants had been
ordered to retire from the dining hall, Messer Marco, as the youngest of
the three, rose from table, and, going into another chamber, brought
forth the three shabby dresses of coarse stuff which they had worn when
they first arrived. Straightway they took sharp knives and began to rip
up some of the seams and welts, and to take out of them jewels of the
greatest value in vast quantities, such as rubies, sapphires,
carbuncles, diamonds and emeralds, which had all been stitched up in
those dresses in so artful a fashion that nobody could have suspected
the fact.
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