第14章

Whathalloingandwhatstiristhisto—day？

Thesearemymates，thatmaketheirwillstheirlaw，Havesomeunhappypassengerinchase。

Theylovemewell;yetIhavemuchtodoTokeepthemfromunciviloutrages。

Withdrawthee，Valentine:who"sthiscomeshere？

EnterPROTEUS，SILVIA，andJULIAPROTEUSMadam，thisserviceIhavedoneforyou，Thoughyourespectnotaughtyourservantdoth，TohazardlifeandrescueyoufromhimThatwouldhaveforcedyourhonourandyourlove;

Vouchsafeme，formymeed，butonefairlook;

AsmallerboonthanthisIcannotbegAndlessthanthis，Iamsure，youcannotgive。VALENTINE[Aside]HowlikeadreamisthisIseeandhear！

Love，lendmepatiencetoforbearawhile。SILVIAOmiserable，unhappythatIam！PROTEUSUnhappywereyou，madam，ereIcame;

ButbymycomingIhavemadeyouhappy。SILVIABythyapproachthoumakestmemostunhappy。JULIA[Aside]Andme，whenheapproachethtoyourpresence。SILVIAHadIbeenseizedbyahungrylion，Iwouldhavebeenabreakfasttothebeast，RatherthanhavefalseProteusrescueme。

O，HeavenbejudgehowIloveValentine，Whoselife"sastendertomeasmysoul！

Andfullasmuch，formoretherecannotbe，IdodetestfalseperjuredProteus。

Thereforebegone;solicitmenomore。PROTEUSWhatdangerousaction，stooditnexttodeath，WouldInotundergoforonecalmlook！

O，"tisthecurseinlove，andstillapproved，Whenwomencannotlovewherethey"rebeloved！SILVIAWhenProteuscannotlovewherehe"sbeloved。

ReadoverJulia"sheart，thyfirstbestlove，ForwhosedearsakethoudidstthenrendthyfaithIntoathousandoaths;andallthoseoathsDescendedintoperjury，toloveme。

Thouhastnofaithleftnow，unlessthou"dsttwo;

Andthat"sfarworsethannone;betterhavenoneThanpluralfaithwhichistoomuchbyone:

Thoucounterfeittothytruefriend！PROTEUSInloveWhorespectsfriend？SILVIAAllmenbutProteus。PROTEUSNay，ifthegentlespiritofmovingwordsCannowaychangeyoutoamilderform，I"llwooyoulikeasoldier，atarms"end，Andloveyou"gainstthenatureoflove，——forceye。SILVIAOheaven！PROTEUSI"llforcetheeyieldtomydesire。VALENTINERuffian，letgothatrudeunciviltouch，Thoufriendofanillfashion！PROTEUSValentine！VALENTINEThoucommonfriend，that"swithoutfaithorlove，Forsuchisafriendnow;treacherousman！

Thouhastbeguiledmyhopes;noughtbutmineeyeCouldhavepersuadedme:nowIdarenotsayIhaveonefriendalive;thouwouldstdisproveme。

Whoshouldbetrusted，whenone"sownrighthandIsperjuredtothebosom？Proteus，IamsorryImustnevertrusttheemore，Butcounttheworldastrangerforthysake。

Theprivatewoundisdeepest:Otimemostaccurst，"Mongstallfoesthatafriendshouldbetheworst！PROTEUSMyshameandguiltconfoundsme。

Forgiveme，Valentine:ifheartysorrowBeasufficientransomforoffence，Itender"there;IdoastrulysufferAse"erIdidcommit。VALENTINEThenIampaid;

AndonceagainIdoreceivetheehonest。

WhobyrepentanceisnotsatisfiedIsnorofheavennorearth，forthesearepleased。

BypenitencetheEternal"swrath"sappeased:

And，thatmylovemayappearplainandfree，AllthatwasmineinSilviaIgivethee。JULIAOmeunhappy！

SwoonsPROTEUSLooktotheboy。VALENTINEWhy，boy！why，wag！hownow！what"sthematter？

Lookup;speak。JULIAOgoodsir，mymasterchargedmetodeliveraringtoMadamSilvia，which，outofmyneglect，wasneverdone。PROTEUSWhereisthatring，boy？JULIAHere"tis;thisisit。PROTEUSHow！letmesee:

Why，thisistheringIgavetoJulia。JULIAO，cryyoumercy，sir，Ihavemistook:

ThisistheringyousenttoSilvia。PROTEUSButhowcamestthoubythisring？AtmydepartIgavethisuntoJulia。JULIAAndJuliaherselfdidgiveitme;

AndJuliaherselfhathbroughtithither。PROTEUSHow！Julia！JULIABeholdherthatgaveaimtoallthyoaths，Andentertain"d"emdeeplyinherheart。

Howofthastthouwithperjuryclefttheroot！

OProteus，letthishabitmaketheeblush！

BethouashamedthatIhavetookuponmeSuchanimmodestraiment，ifshameliveInadisguiseoflove:

Itisthelesserblot，modestyfinds，Womentochangetheirshapesthanmentheirminds。PROTEUSThanmentheirminds！"tistrue。

Oheaven！weremanButconstant，hewereperfect。ThatoneerrorFillshimwithfaults;makeshimrunthroughallthesins:

Inconstancyfallsoffereitbegins。

WhatisinSilvia"sface，butImayspyMorefreshinJulia"swithaconstanteye？VALENTINECome，come，ahandfromeither:

Letmebeblesttomakethishappyclose;

"Twerepitytwosuchfriendsshouldbelongfoes。PROTEUSBearwitness，Heaven，Ihavemywishforever。JULIAAndImine。

EnterOutlaws，withDUKEandTHURIOOutlawsAprize，aprize，aprize！VALENTINEForbear，forbear，Isay！itismylordtheduke。

Yourgraceiswelcometoamandisgraced，BanishedValentine。DUKESirValentine！THURIOYonderisSilvia;andSilvia"smine。VALENTINEThurio，giveback，orelseembracethydeath;

Comenotwithinthemeasureofmywrath;

DonotnameSilviathine;ifonceagain，Veronashallnotholdthee。Hereshestands;

Takebutpossessionofherwithatouch:

Idaretheebuttobreatheuponmylove。THURIOSirValentine，Icarenotforher，I;

IholdhimbutafoolthatwillendangerHisbodyforagirlthatloveshimnot:

Iclaimhernot，andthereforesheisthine。DUKEThemoredegenerateandbaseartthou，TomakesuchmeansforherasthouhastdoneAndleaveheronsuchslightconditions。

Now，bythehonourofmyancestry，Idoapplaudthyspirit，Valentine，Andthinktheeworthyofanempress"love:

Knowthen，Ihereforgetallformergriefs，Cancelallgrudge，repealtheehomeagain，Pleadanewstateinthyunrivall"dmerit，TowhichIthussubscribe:SirValentine，Thouartagentlemanandwellderived;

TakethouthySilvia，forthouhastdeservedher。VALENTINEIthankyourgrace;thegifthathmademehappy。

Inowbeseechyou，foryourdaughter"ssake，TograntoneboomthatIshallaskofyou。DUKEIgrantit，forthineown，whate"eritbe。VALENTINEThesebanish"dmenthatIhavekeptwithalAremenenduedwithworthyqualities:

ForgivethemwhattheyhavecommittedhereAndletthemberecall"dfromtheirexile:

Theyarereformed，civil，fullofgoodAndfitforgreatemployment，worthylord。DUKEThouhastprevail"d;Ipardonthemandthee:

Disposeofthemasthouknow"sttheirdeserts。

Come，letusgo:wewillincludealljarsWithtriumphs，mirthandraresolemnity。VALENTINEAnd，aswewalkalong，IdarebeboldWithourdiscoursetomakeyourgracetosmile。

Whatthinkyouofthispage，mylord？DUKEIthinktheboyhathgraceinhim;heblushes。VALENTINEIwarrantyou，mylord，moregracethanboy。DUKEWhatmeanyoubythatsaying？VALENTINEPleaseyou，I"lltellyouaswepassalong，Thatyouwillwonderwhathathfortuned。

Come，Proteus;"tisyourpenancebuttohearThestoryofyourlovesdiscovered:

Thatdone，ourdayofmarriageshallbeyours;

Onefeast，onehouse，onemutualhappiness。