io'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 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, the prince accompanied Claudio to the church,
where the good friar, and Leonato and his niece, were already assembled,
to celebrate a second nuptial; and Leonato presented to Claudio his
promised bride; and she wore a mask, that Claudio might not discover her
face. And Claudio said to the lady in the mask, "Give me your hand,
before this holy friar; I am your husband, if you will marry me." "And
when I lived I was your other wife," said this unknown lady; and, taking
off her mask, she proved to be no niece (as was pretended), but
Leonato's very daughter, the Lady Hero herself. We may be sure that this
proved a most agreeable surprise to Claudio, who thought her dead, so
that he could scarcely for joy believe his eyes; and the prince, who was
equally amazed at what he saw, exclaimed, "Is not this Hero, Hero that
was dead?" Leonato replied, "She died, my lord, but while her slander
lived."