to her parents. Upon this, the amazement
and agitation of the mother were naturally
very great; especially when Machates showed
her a ring which the girl had given him, and
a bodice which she had left behind her; and
his amazement was no less, when he heard the
story they had to tell. He however promised
that if she returned the next night, he would
let them see her ; for he found it impossible
to believe that his bride was their dead
daughter. He suspected, on the contrary,
that some thieves had stripped her body of
the clothes and ornaments in which she had
been buried, and that the girl who came to
his room, had bought them. When therefore
she arrived, his servant having had orders, to
summon the father and mother, they came ;
and perceiving that it was really their
daughter they fell to embracing her, with
tears. But she reproached them for the
intrusion, declaring that she had been per-
mitted to spend three days with this stranger,
in the house of her birth ; but that now she
must go to the appointed place; and immedi-
ately fell down dead, and the dead body lay
there visible to all.
