Beautiful Stories from ShakespeareShakespeare, William
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Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
Shakespeare, William
Children's literature; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stories, plots, etc. -- Juvenile literature
“Then,” went on Iachimo, “perhaps you will prove it by taking charge of
a trunk, containing a number of jewels which your husband and I and some
other gentlemen have bought as a present for the Emperor of Rome.”
“I will indeed,” said Imogen, “do anything for my husband and a friend
of my husband's. Have the jewels sent into my room, and I will take care
of them.”
“It is only for one night,” said Iachimo, “for I leave Britain again
to-morrow.”
So the trunk was carried into Imogen's room, and that night she went to
bed and to sleep. When she was fast asleep, the lid of the trunk opened
and a man got out. It was Iachimo. The story about the jewels was as
untrue as the rest of the things he had said. He had only wished to get
into her room to win his wicked wager. He looked about him and noticed
the furniture, and then crept to the side of the bed where Imogen
was asleep and took from her arm the gold bracelet which had been the
parting gift of her husband. Then he crept back to the trunk, and next
morning sailed for Rome.
When he met Leonatus, he said--
“I have been to Britain and I have won the wager, for your wife no
longer thinks about you. She stayed talking with me all one night in her
room, which is hung with tapestry and has a carved chimney-piece, and
silver andirons in the shape of two winking Cupids.”
“I do not believe she has forgotten me; I do not believe she stayed
talking with you in her room. You have heard her room described by the
servants.”
“Ah!” said Iachimo, “but she gave me this bracelet. She took it from
her arm. I see her yet. Her pretty action did outsell her gift, and yet
enriched it too. She gave it me, and said she prized it once.”
“Take the ring,” cried Leonatus, “you have won; and you might have
won my life as well, for I care nothing for it now I know my lady has
forgotten me.”
And mad with anger, he wrote letters to Britain to his old servant,
Pisanio, ordering him to take Imogen to Milford Haven, and to murder
her, because she had forgotten him and given away his gift. At the same
time he wrote to Imogen herself, telling her to go with Pisanio, his old
servant, to Milford Haven, and that he, her husband, would be there to
meet her.
Now when Pisanio got this letter he was too good to carry out its
orders, and too wise to let them alone altogether. So he gave Imogen the
letter from her husband, and started with her for Milford Haven. Before
he left, the wicked Queen gave him a drink which, she said, would be
useful in sickness. She hoped he would give it to Imogen, and that
Imogen would die, and the wicked Queen's son could be King. For the
Queen thought this drink was a poison, but really and truly it was only
a sleeping-draft.
When Pisanio and Imogen came near to Milford Haven, he told her what was
really in the letter he had had from her husband.
“I must go on to Rome, and see him myself,” said Imogen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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