He remembered the vow she had taken when
she looked into his eyes and said, "I will be my lord's faithful
servant, obedient in all things," and thinking of it, day by day, there
arose in his heart a desire to put her love and faith to the test.
The resolution to which he came was so cruel, that we can scarcely
believe he could have loved Griselda, and had the heart to attempt to
carry out his design. He took into his counsel only an old servant
named Furio, and to him he gave the execution of his plan.
One day Griselda sat in her chamber, caressing and playing with her two
babes. She had never intrusted their care and rearing to any but
herself, and her chief delight had been to tend them, to note their
pretty ways, to rock them asleep, and to watch their rosy slumbers. At
this moment, tired out with play, her noble boy, the younger Walter,
lay in his cradle at her foot; and the sweet girl, with her father's
dark eyes, lay on the mother's bosom, while she sang softly this cradle
song, to lull them to sleep:
"Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles awake when you do rise;
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby;
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.
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