." "Kill Claudio," said Beatrice. "Ha!
not for the wide world," said Benedick; for he loved his friend Claudio,
and he believed he had been imposed upon. "Is not Claudio a villain,
that has slandered, scorned, and dishonoured my cousin?" said Beatrice:
"O that I were a man!" "Hear me, Beatrice!" said Benedick. But Beatrice
would hear nothing in Claudio's defence; and she continued to urge on
Benedick to revenge her cousin's wrongs: and she said, "Talk with a man
out of the window; a proper saying! Sweet Hero! she is wronged; she is
slandered; she is undone. O that I were a man for Claudio's sake! or
that I had any friend, who would be a man for my sake! but valour is
melted into courtesies and compliments. I cannot be a man with wishing,
therefore I will die a woman with grieving." "Tarry, good Beatrice,"
said Benedick: "by this hand I love you." "Use it for my love some other
way than swearing by it," said Beatrice. "Think you on your soul that
Claudio has wronged Hero?" asked Benedick. "Yea," answered Beatrice; "as
sure as I have a thought, or a soul." "Enough," said Benedick; "I am
engaged; I will challenge him. I will kiss your hand, and so leave you.
By this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account! As you hear from
me, so think of me. Go, comfort your cousin."

While Beatrice was thus powerfully pleading with Benedick, and working
his gallant temper by the spirit of her angry words, to engage in the
cause of Hero, and fight even with his dear friend Claudio, Leonato was
challenging the prince and Claudio to answer with their swords the
injury they had done his child, who, he affirmed, had died for grief.
But they respected his age and his sorrow, and they said, "Nay, do not
quarrel with us, good old man." And now came Benedick, and he also
challenged Claudio to answer with his sword the injury he had done to
Hero; and Claudio and the prince said to each other, "Beatrice has set
him on to do this." Claudio nevertheless must have accepted this
challenge of Benedick, had not the justice of Heaven at the moment
brought to pass a better proof of the innocence of Hero than the
uncertain fortune of a duel.

While the prince and Claudio were yet talking of the challenge of
Benedick, a magistrate brought Borachio as a prisoner before the prince.
Borachio had been overheard talking with one of his companions of the
mischief he had been employed by Don John to do.

Borachio made a full confession to the prince in Claud