in a dangerous position: I had only exposed the cloak, in order merely
to attract the attention of my stranger, and now a young fool came to
pay an immense price for it. However, what could I do? I yielded; for
on the other hand I was delighted at the idea of being so handsomely
recompensed for my nocturnal adventure.

The young man put the cloak around him and went away, but on reaching
the threshold he returned; whilst unfastening a piece of paper which had
been tied to the cloak, and throwing it towards me, he exclaimed: "Here,
Zaleukos, hangs something which I dare say does not belong to the
cloak." I picked up the piece of paper carelessly, but behold, on it
these words were written: "Bring the cloak at the appointed hour
to-night to the Ponte Vecchio, four hundred sequins are thine." I stood
thunderstruck. Thus I had lost my fortune and completely missed my aim!
Yet I did not think long. I picked up the two hundred sequins, jumped
after the one who had bought the cloak, and said: "Dear friend, take
back your sequins, and give me the cloak; I cannot possibly part with
it." He first regarded the matter as a joke; but when he saw that I was
in earnest, he became angry at my demand, called me a fool, and finally
it came to blows.

However, I was fortunate enough to wrench the cloak from him in the
scuffle, and was about to run away with it, when the young man called
the police to his assistance, and we both appeared before the judge. The
latter was much surprised at the accusation, and adjudicated the cloak
in favor of my adversary. I offered the young man twenty, fifty, eighty,
even a hundred sequins in addition to his two hundred, if he would part
with the cloak. What my entreaties could not do, my gold did. He
accepted it. I, however, went away with the cloak triumphantly, and had
to appear to the whole town of Florence as a madman. I did not care,