"I am ill. Let me go home; send the
deed after me, and I will sign over half my riches to my
daughter."--"Get thee gone, then," said the duke, "and sign it; and if
you repent your cruelty and turn Christian, the state will forgive you
the fine of the other half of your riches."

The duke now released Antonio, and dismissed the court. He then highly
praised the wisdom and ingenuity of the young counsellor, and invited
him home to dinner. Portia, who meant to return to Belmont before her
husband, replied, "I humbly thank your grace, but I must away directly."
The duke said he was sorry he had not leisure to stay and dine with
him; and turning to Antonio, he added, "Reward this gentleman; for in my
mind you are much indebted to him."

The duke and his senators left the court; and then Bassanio said to
Portia, "Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend Antonio have by your
wisdom been this day acquitted of grievous penalties, and I beg you will
accept of the three thousand ducats due unto the Jew." "And we shall
stand indebted to you over and above," said Antonio, "in love and
service evermore."

Portia could not be prevailed upon to accept the money; but upon
Bassanio still pressing her to accept of some reward, she said, "Give me
your gloves; I will wear them for your sake;" and then Bassanio taking
off his gloves, she espied the ring which she had given him upon his
finger: now it was the ring the wily lady wanted to get from him to make
a merry jest when she saw her Bassanio again, that made her ask him for
his gloves; and she said, when she saw the ring, "and for your love I
will take this ring from you." Bassanio was sadly distressed that the
counsellor should ask him for the only thing he could not part with, and
he replied in great confusion, that he could not give him that ring,
because it was his wife's gift, and he had vowed never to part with it;
but that he would give him the most valuable ring in Venice, and find it
out by proclamation. On this Portia affected to be affronted, and left
the court, saying, "You teach me, sir, how a beggar should be answered."

"Dear Bassanio," said Antonio, "let him have the ring; let my love and
the great service he has done for me be valued against your wife's
displeasure." Bassanio, ashamed to appear so ungrateful, yielded, and
sent Gratiano after Portia with the ring; and then the _clerk_ Nerissa,
who had also given Gratiano a ring, she begged his ring, and Gratiano
(not c