he
injury they had done his child, who, he affirmed, had died for grief.
But they respected his age and his sorrow, and they said, "Nay, do not
quarrel with us, good old man." And now came Benedick, and he also
challenged Claudio to answer with his sword the injury he had done to
Hero: and Claudio and the prince said to each other, "Beatrice has
set him on to do this." Claudio nevertheless must have accepted this
challenge of Benedick, had not the justice of Heaven at the moment
brought to pass a better proof of the innocence of Hero than the
uncertain fortune of a duel.

While the prince and Claudio were yet talking of the challenge of
Benedick, a magistrate brought Borachio as a prisoner before the
prince. Borachio had been overheard talking with one of his companions
of the mischief he had been employed by Don John to do.

Borachio made a full confession to the prince in Claudio's hearing,
that it was Margaret dressed in her lady's clothes that he had talked
with from the window, whom they had mistaken for the lady Hero
herself; and no doubt continued on the minds of Claudio and the prince
of the innocence of Hero. If a suspicion had remained, it must have
been removed by the flight of Don John, who, finding his villanies
were detected, fled from Messina to avoid the just anger of his
brother.

The heart of Claudio was sorely grieved, when he found he had falsely
accused Hero, who, he thought, died upon hearing his cruel words; and
the memory of his beloved Hero's image came over him, in the rare
semblance that he loved it first: and the prince asking him if what
he heard did not run like iron through his soul, he answered, that he
felt as if he had taken poison while Borachio was speaking.

And the repentant Claudio implored forgiveness of the old man Leonato
for the injury he had done his child; and promised, that whatever
penance Leonato would lay upon him for his fault in believing the
false accusation against his betrothed wife, for her dear sake he
would endure it.

The penance Leonato enjoined him was, to marry the next morning a
cousin of Hero's who, he said, was now his heir, and in person very
like Hero. Claudio, regarding the solemn promise he had made to
Leonato, said, he would marry this unknown lady, even though she were
an Ethiop: but his heart was very sorrowful, and he passed that night
in tears, and in remorseful grief, at the tomb which Leonato had
erected for Hero.

When the morning came,