nterrupted her with desiring her to
say her prayers. "What mean you?" said Marina, who began to fear, she
knew not why. "If you require a little space for prayer, I grant it,"
said Leonine; "but be not tedious, the gods are quick of ear, and I am
sworn to do my work in haste." "Will you kill me?" said Marina: "alas!
why?" "To satisfy my lady," replied Leonine. "Why would she have me
killed?" said Marina: "now, as I can remember, I never hurt her in all
my life. I never spake bad word, nor did any ill turn to any living
creature. Believe me now, I never killed a mouse, nor hurt a fly. I trod
upon a worm once against my will, but I wept for it. How have I
offended?" The murderer replied, "My commission is not to reason on the
deed, but to do it." And he was just going to kill her, when certain
pirates happened to land at that very moment, who seeing Marina, bore
her off as a prize to their ship.

The pirate who had made Marina his prize carried her to Mitylene, and
sold her for a slave, where, though in that humble condition, Marina
soon became known throughout the whole city of Mitylene for her beauty
and her virtues; and the person to whom she was sold became rich by the
money she earned for him. She taught music, dancing, and fine
needleworks, and the money she got by her scholars she gave to her
master and mistress; and the fame of her learning and her great industry
came to the knowledge of Lysimachus, a young nobleman who was governor
of Mitylene, and Lysimachus went himself to the house where Marina
dwelt, to see this paragon of excellence, whom all the city praised so
highly. Her conversation delighted Lysimachus beyond measure, for though
he had heard much of this admired maiden, he did not expect to find her
so sensible a lady, so virtuous, and so good, as he perceived Marina to
be; and he left her, saying, he hoped she would persevere in her
industrious and virtuous course, and that if ever she heard from him
again it should be for her good. Lysimachus thought Marina such a
miracle for sense, fine breeding, and excellent qualities, as well as
for beauty and all outward graces, that he wished to marry her, and
notwithstanding her humble situation, he hoped to find that her birth
was noble; but ever when they asked her parentage she would sit still
and weep.

Meantime, at Tarsus, Leonine, fearing the anger of Dionysia, told her he
had killed Marina; and that wicked woman gave out that she was dead, and
made a p