This miniature portrays the deception and secretive communication necessary to an illicit love affair. It introduces the story of the adulterous passion between Euryalus, a member of the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, and a married Italian woman, Lucretia. In front, Euryalus presents his love letter to Nisus, a trusted go-between. Up the stairs at the left, Nisus approaches Lucretia; offended by the messenger's reputation, Lucretia tears up the letter and sends her on her way. At the far left, a woman in green escorts Nisus out the door. On the right, the repentant Lucretia gathers the torn letter and stores it in a trunk with her most sacred jewels. In the doorway at the back, Nisus reports back to Euryalus. Through this series of scenes, the artist creates a complex visual narrative, told with an almost dancelike elegance.