dkerchief I gave you." Desdemona had it not
about her (for indeed it was stolen as we have related). "How!" said
Othello, "this is a fault indeed. That handkerchief an Egyptian woman
gave to my mother; the woman was a witch, and could read people's
thoughts; she told my mother, while she kept it, it would make her
amiable, and my father would love her; but, if she lost it, or gave
it away, my father's fancy would turn, and he would lothe her as much
as he had loved her. She dying gave it me, and bade me, if I ever
married, to give it to my wife. I did so; take heed of it. Make it a
darling as precious as your eye." "Is it possible?" said the frighted
lady. "'Tis true:" continued Othello; "it is a magical handkerchief;
a sibyl that had lived in the world two hundred years, in a fit of
prophetic fury worked it; the silk-worms that furnished the silk were
hallowed, and it was dyed in mummy of maidens' hearts conserved."
Desdemona, hearing the wondrous virtues of the handkerchief, was ready
to die with fear, for she plainly perceived she had lost it, and with
it, she feared, the affections of her husband. Then Othello started,
and looked as if he were going to do some rash thing, and still he
demanded the handkerchief, which when she could not produce, she tried
to divert her husband from too serious thoughts, and cheerfully told
him, she saw all his talk about the handkerchief was only to put her
off from her suit about Michael Cassio, whom she went on to praise (as
Iago had foretold), till Othello in perfect distraction burst out of
the room, and then Desdemona, though unwillingly, began to suspect her
lord was jealous.

What cause she could have ministered to him she knew not, and then
she accused herself for accusing the noble Othello, and thought to be
sure that some untoward news from Venice, or some state troubles, had
puddled his spirits, and made his temper not so sweet as formerly. And
she said, "Men are not gods, and we must not look for that observance
from them when they are married, which they shew us on the bridal
day." And she beshrewed herself for so unkindly judging of his
unkindness.

Again Othello and Desdemona met, and he accused her more plainly of
being unfaithful, and of loving another man, but he did not name whom:
and Othello wept, and Desdemona said, "Alas! the heavy day! why do you
weep?" And Othello told her, he could have borne all sorts of evils
with fortitude--poverty, and disease, and disg