Before noon of the next day half the aristocrats in Messina were at church. Hero thought it was her wedding day, and she was there in her wedding dress, no cloud on her pretty face or in her frank and shining eyes. The priest was Friar Francis. Turning to Claudio, he said, “You come hither, my lord, to marry this lady?” “No!” contradicted Claudio. Leonato thought he was quibbling over grammar. “You should have said, Friar,” said he, “'You come to be married to her.'” Friar Francis turned to Hero. “Lady,” he said, “you come hither to be married to this Count?” “I do,” replied Hero. “If either of you know any impediment to this marriage, I charge you to utter it,” said the Friar. “Do you know of any, Hero?” asked Claudio. “None,” said she. “Know you of any, Count?” demanded the Friar. “I dare reply for him, 'None,'” said Leonato. Claudio exclaimed bitterly, “O! what will not men dare say! Father,” he continued, “will you give me your daughter?” “As freely,” replied Leonato, “as God gave her to me.” “And what can I give you,” asked Claudio, “which is worthy of this gift?” “Nothing,” said Don Pedro, “unless you give the gift back to the giver.” “Sweet Prince, you teach me,” said Claudio. “There, Leonato, take her back.” These brutal words were followed by others which flew from Claudio, Don Pedro and Don John. The church seemed no longer sacred. Hero took her own part as long as she could, then she swooned. All her persecutors left the church, except her father, who was befooled by the accusations against her, and cried, “Hence from her! Let her die!” But Friar Francis saw Hero blameless with his clear eyes that probed the soul. “She is innocent,” he said; “a thousand signs have told me so.” Hero revived under his kind gaze. Her father, flurried and angry, knew not what to think, and the Friar said, “They have left her as one dead with shame. Let us pretend that she is dead until the truth is declared, and slander turns to remorse.” “The Friar advises well,” said Benedick. Then Hero was led away into a retreat, and Beatrice and Benedick remained alone in the church. Benedick knew she had been weeping bitterly and long. “Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged,” he said. She still wept. “Is it not strange,” asked Benedick, gently, “that I love nothing in the world as well as you?” “It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing as well as you,” said Beatrice, “but I do not say it. I am sorry for my cousin.” “Tell me what to do for her,” said Benedick. “Kill Claudio.” “Ha! not for the wide world,” said Benedick. “Your refusal kills me,” said Beatrice. “Farewell.” “Enough! I will challenge him,” cried Benedick. During this scene Borachio and Conrade were in prison. There they were examined by a constable called Dogberry. The watchman gave evidence to the effect that Borachio had said that he had received a thousand ducats for conspiring against Hero.