The little girl, who was in bed with the muleteer's wife, had hidden
herself under the bed in her fear; but on seeing that the man was gone,
she came to her mistress. Finding her to be without speech or movement,
she called to the neighbours from the window for aid; and as they loved
and esteemed her mistress as much as any woman that belonged to the
town, they came forthwith, bringing surgeons with them. The latter
found that she had received twenty-five mortal wounds in her body, and
although they did what they could to help her, it was all in vain.
Nevertheless she lingered for an hour longer without speaking, yet
making signs with eye and hand to show that she had not lost her
understanding. Being asked by a priest in what faith she died, she
answered, by signs as plain as any speech, that she placed her hope of
salvation in Jesus Christ alone; and so with glad countenance and eyes
upraised to heaven her chaste body yielded up its soul to its Creator.
Just as the corpse, having been laid out and shrouded,(5) was placed
at the door to await the burial company, the poor husband arrived and
beheld his wife's body in front of his house before he had even received
tidings of her death.
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