The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 3: Books for Children — John Shaqi
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 3: Books for ChildrenLamb, Charles
General
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 3: Books for Children
Lamb, Charles
Children's poetry; Children's stories
Benedick had been listening with great eagerness to this conversation;
and he said to himself when he heard Beatrice loved him, "Is it
possible? Sits the wind in that corner?" And when they were gone, he
began to reason in this manner with himself. "This can be no trick!
they were very serious, and they have the truth from Hero, and seem to
pity the lady. Love me! Why, it must be requited! I did never think
to marry. But when I said I should die a bachelor, I did not think I
should live to be married. They say the lady is virtuous and fair. She
is so. And wise in every thing but in loving me. Why that is no great
argument of her folly. But here comes Beatrice. By this day, she
is a fair lady. I do spy some marks of love in her." Beatrice now
approached him, and said with her usual tartness, "Against my will
I am sent to bid you come in to dinner." Benedick, who never felt
himself disposed to speak so politely to her before, replied, "Fair
Beatrice, I thank you for your pains:" and when Beatrice after two
or three more rude speeches left him, Benedick thought he observed a
concealed meaning of kindness under the uncivil words she uttered, and
he said aloud, "If I do not take pity on her, I am a villain. If I do
not love her, I am a Jew. I will go get her picture."
The gentleman being thus caught in the net they had spread for him,
it was now Hero's turn to play her part with Beatrice; and for
this purpose she sent for Ursula and Margaret, two gentlewomen who
attended upon her, and she said to Margaret, "Good Margaret, run to
the parlour; there you will find my cousin Beatrice talking with the
prince and Claudio. Whisper in her ear, that I and Ursula are walking
in the orchard, and that our discourse is all of her. Bid her steal
into that pleasant arbour, where honey-suckles, ripened by the sun,
like ungrateful minions, forbid the sun to enter." This arbour,
into which Hero desired Margaret to entice Beatrice, was the very
same pleasant arbour where Benedick had so lately been an attentive
listener. "I will make her come, I warrant, presently," said Margaret.
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