Lady Capulet had come to her daughter’s room at this unusual hour to bring news of great importance. The County Paris had renewed his suit to Juliet’s father. All was arranged; the marriage was fixed to take place in three days’ time, on the following Thursday. It did not occur to the parents that Juliet would have any voice in the matter; or, rather, Lady Capulet thought it would be joyful tidings to her, and would help to console her for the death of her cousin Tybalt. She was, therefore, somewhat astonished to find the way in which her news was received. In answer to her intelligence that early next Thursday the gallant, young, and noble gentleman, the County Paris, at Saint Peter’s Church, would happily make Juliet a joyful bride, her daughter exclaimed with fire: “Now, by Saint Peter’s Church and Peter too, he shall not make me there a joyful bride!” Juliet went on to say that she would not marry in this haste, and when she did marry it would be Romeo, their enemy, rather than Paris. Then in came Capulet, her father, and, deaf to all Juliet’s pleadings, he swore in a furious rage that she _should_ marry Paris; and if she did not, she might beg, starve, die in the streets, for he would not own her as a daughter. Juliet appealed to her mother, but Lady Capulet was really angry with her, or perhaps she did not dare to go against her husband; at any rate, she took his side in the matter, and harshly refused to listen to anything Juliet might say. “Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee,” were her final cruel words, as she followed her husband from the room. Cut to the heart, stunned with misery, Juliet turned to her last hope. Her old nurse was still beside her; she, at least, knew that what her parents demanded was impossible; she knew that Juliet could not marry Paris, for she was already married to Romeo. Perhaps she could suggest some way of escape. “Comfort me, counsel me,” implored the distracted young girl. “What say’st thou? Hast thou not a word of joy? Some comfort, nurse.” And this is the comfort and counsel the old nurse gave. Romeo was banished, she said; she would wager anything he would never dare to come back to challenge her, or, if he did, it would have to be by stealth. Then, since the case stood as it did, she thought the best thing would be for Juliet to marry the County Paris. Oh, he was a lovely gentleman! Romeo was nothing to him! Indeed, she thought Juliet very happy in her second match, for it far excelled her first; or, if it did not, her first was dead, or he might just as well be dead as living, when banished from Juliet. So spoke the selfish, base-minded old woman. Juliet looked at her fixedly. “Do you speak this from your heart?” she asked solemnly. “And from my soul too,” returned the old woman, “or evil befall them.” “Amen!” said Juliet. “What?”