im that gracious denial which he is most glad to
receive. There is no hope that he will pardon you; therefore pass your
hours in prayer, and make ready for death." Then Claudio repented of
his weakness, and said, "Let me ask my sister's pardon! I am so out of
love with life, that I will sue to be rid of it." And Claudio retired,
overwhelmed with shame and sorrow for his fault.

The duke being now alone with Isabel, commended her virtuous
resolution, saying, "The hand that made you fair, has made you good."
"O," said Isabel, "how much is the good duke deceived in Angelo!
if ever he return, and I can speak to him, I will discover his
government." Isabel knew not that she was even now making the
discovery she threatened. The duke replied, "That shall not be
much amiss; yet as the matter now stands, Angelo will repel your
accusation; therefore lend an attentive ear to my advisings. I believe
that you may most righteously do a poor wronged lady a merited
benefit, redeem your brother from the angry law, do no stain to
your own most gracious person, and much please the absent duke, if
peradventure he shall ever return to have notice of this business."
Isabel said, She had a spirit to do anything he desired, provided it
was nothing wrong. "Virtue is bold, and never fearful," said the duke:
and then he asked her, if she had ever heard of Mariana, the sister
of Frederick, the great soldier who was drowned at sea. "I have heard
of the lady," said Isabel, "and good words went with her name." "This
lady," said the duke, "is the wife of Angelo; but her marriage dowry
was on board the vessel in which her brother perished, and mark how
heavily this befell to the poor gentlewoman! for, beside the loss of
a most noble and renowned brother, who in his love towards her was
ever most kind and natural, in the wreck of her fortune she lost the
affections of her husband, the well-seeming Angelo; who pretending to
discover some dishonour in this honourable lady (though the true cause
was the loss of her dowry) left her in her tears, and dried not one
of them with his comfort. His unjust unkindness, that in all reason
should have quenched her love, has, like an impediment in the current,
made it more unruly, and Mariana loves her cruel husband with the
full continuance of her first affection." The duke then more plainly
unfolded his plan. It was, that Isabel should go to lord Angelo, and
seemingly consent to come to him as he desired, at midnigh