hakespeare's book?"

For indeed they had read much in his pages that morning. Brilliana
looked pleased.

"Yes, indeed. Let us go into my paradise."

She looked into the garden and came back with a shiver.

"Ah, no, it is raining. It rained when the King raised his standard
at Nottingham. Well, well, we can read here."

Evander was turning the leaves.

"What shall we read? Comedy, history, tragedy?"

Brilliana was for the solemn mask.

"Let it be tragedy. I have laughed so much this morning that my mind
turns to melancholy."

Evander looked up at her with his finger on a page.

"Shall we read 'Romeo and Juliet'?"

"I know that play by root of heart," Brilliana said.

"Truly, so do I," said Evander.

Brilliana was silent, pensive, a finger on her lip, considering some
project. Then she said, doubtfully:

"You spoke the other day of women players, a thing that seemed to me
incredible. Shall we see how it would seem here for us two? Let us
while away a wet morning by playing a stage play."

Evander's heart leaped.

"With you for the sweet scene in the garden," he cried.

In a moment Brilliana was busy in the setting of her scene. She
pulled round a heavy, high-backed chair and leaped into it, leaning
over the back and looking up as if the painted ceiling glowed with
the stars of an Italian night. Then the words flowed from her, the
wonderful words:

"'O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name:
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.'"

Evander said his line a little stiffly; he was awkward, being a man.

"'Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?'"

Brilliana flowed on:

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:
Thou art thyself though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,
Nor arm nor face. O be some other name
Belonging to a man.
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes,
Without that title.--Romeo, doff thy name;
And for thy name which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.'"

Evander put heart now into his part as he moved towards her.

"'I take thee at thy word.
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptiz'd;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.'"

Brilliana affecte