Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Adaptations; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stories, plots, etc. -- Juvenile literature
Sebastian did not at all object to the fondness the lady lavished on
him. He seemed to take it in very good part, yet he wondered how it had
come to pass, and he was rather inclined to think Olivia was not in her
right senses; but perceiving that she was mistress of a fine house, and
that she ordered her affairs and seemed to govern her family
discreetly, and that in all but her sudden love for him she appeared in
the full possession of her reason, he well approved of the courtship;
and Olivia finding Cesario in this good humour, and fearing he might
change his mind, proposed that, as she had a priest in the house, they
should be instantly married. Sebastian assented to this proposal; and
when the marriage ceremony was over, he left his lady for a short time
intending to go and tell his friend Antonio the good fortune that he
had met with. In the meantime Orsino came to visit Olivia: and at the
moment he arrived before Olivia's house, the officers of justice
brought their prisoner, Antonio, before the duke. Viola was with
Orsino, her master; and when Antonio saw Viola, whom he still imagined
to be Sebastian, he told the duke in what manner he had rescued this
youth from the perils of the sea; and after fully relating all the
kindness he had really shown to Sebastian, he ended his complaint with
saying, that for three months, both day and night, this ungrateful
youth had been with him. But now the lady Olivia coming forth from her
house, the duke could no longer attend to Antonio's story; and he said:
'Here comes the countess: now Heaven walks on earth! but for thee,
fellow, thy words are madness. Three months has this youth attended on
me': and then he ordered Antonio to be taken aside. But Orsino's
heavenly countess soon gave the duke cause to accuse Cesario as much of
ingratitude as Antonio had done, for all the words he could hear Olivia
speak were words of kindness to Cesario: and when he found his page had
obtained this high place in Olivia's favour, he threatened him with all
the terrors of his just revenge; and as he was going to depart, he
called Viola to follow him, saying: 'Come, boy, with me. My thoughts
are ripe for mischief.' Though it seemed in his jealous rage he was
going to doom Viola to instant death, yet her love made her no longer a
coward, and she said she would most joyfully suffer death to give her
master ease. But Olivia would not so lose her husband, and she cried:
'Where goes my Cesario?' Viola replied: 'After him I love more than my
life.' Olivia, however, prevented their departure by loudly proclaiming
that Cesario was her husband, and sent for the priest, who declared
that not two hours had passed since he had married the lady Olivia to
this young man. In vain Viola protested she was not married to Olivia;
the evidence of that lady and the priest made Orsino believe that his
page had robbed him of the treasure he prized above his life. But
thinking that it was past recall, he was bidding farewell to his
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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