o support; and the king, scarce believing for joy
that it was Helena, said, "Is this indeed the wife of Bertram that I
see?" Helena, feeling herself yet an unacknowledged wife, replied,
"No, my good lord, it is but the shadow of a wife you see, the name
and not the thing." Bertram cried out, "Both, both! O pardon!" "O my
lord," said Helena, "when I personated this fair maid, I found you
wondrous kind; and look, here is your letter!" reading to him in a
joyful tone those words, which she had once repeated so sorrowfully,
_When from my finger you can get this ring_--"This is done, it was
to me you gave the ring. Will you be mine, now you are doubly won?"
Bertram replied, "If you can make it plain that you were the lady I
talked with that night, I will love you dearly, ever, ever dearly."
This was no difficult task, for the widow and Diana came with Helena
purposely to prove this fact; and the king was so well pleased with
Diana, for the friendly assistance she had rendered the dear lady he
so truly valued for the service she had done him, that he promised her
also a noble husband: Helena's history giving him a hint that it was a
suitable reward for kings to bestow upon fair ladies when they perform
notable services.

Thus Helena at last found that her father's legacy was indeed
sanctified by the luckiest stars in heaven; for she was now the
beloved wife of her dear Bertram, the daughter-in-law of her noble
mistress, and herself the countess of Rossilion.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

(_By Mary Lamb_)

Katherine, the shrew, was the eldest daughter of Baptista, a rich
gentleman of Padua. She was a lady of such an ungovernable spirit and
fiery temper, such a loud-tongued scold, that she was known in Padua
by no other name than Katherine the Shrew. It seemed very unlikely,
indeed impossible, that any gentleman would ever be found who would
venture to marry this lady, and therefore Baptista was much blamed
for deferring his consent to many excellent offers that were made to
her gentle sister Bianca, putting off all Bianca's suitors with this
excuse, that when the eldest sister was fairly off his hands, they
should have free leave to address young Bianca.

It happened however that a gentleman, named Petruchio, came to Padua,
purposely to look out for a wife, who, nothing discouraged by these
reports of Katherine's temper, and hearing she was rich and handsome,
resolved upon marrying this famous termagant, and taming h