lso
said, "And as I assisted you to obtain her, I will join with you to
disgrace her."

When Don John brought them near Hero's chamber that night, they saw
Borachio standing under the window, and they saw Margaret looking out
of Hero's window, and heard her talking with Borachio; and Margaret
being dressed in the same clothes they had seen Hero wear, the prince
and Claudio believed it was the lady Hero herself.

Nothing could equal the anger of Claudio, when he had made (as he
thought) this discovery. All his love for the innocent Hero was at
once converted into hatred, and he resolved to expose her in the
church, as he had said he would, the next day; and the prince agreed
to this, thinking no punishment could be too severe for the naughty
lady, who talked with a man from her window the very night before she
was going to be married to the noble Claudio.

The next day, when they were all met to celebrate the marriage,
and Claudio and Hero were standing before the priest, and the
priest, or friar as he was called, was proceeding to pronounce
the marriage-ceremony, Claudio, in the most passionate language,
proclaimed the guilt of the blameless Hero, who, amazed at the strange
words he uttered, said meekly, "Is my lord well, that he does speak
so wide?"

Leonato, in the utmost horror, said to the prince, "My lord, why
speak not you?" "What should I speak?" said the prince; "I stand
dishonoured, that have gone about to link my dear friend to an
unworthy woman. Leonato, upon my honour, myself, my brother, and this
grieved Claudio, did see and hear her last night at midnight talk with
a man at her chamber-window."

Benedick, in astonishment at what he heard, said, "This looks not like
a nuptial."

"True, O God!" replied the heart-struck Hero; and then this hapless
lady sunk down in a fainting fit, to all appearance dead. The prince
and Claudio left the church, without staying to see if Hero would
recover, or at all regarding the distress into which they had thrown
Leonato. So hard-hearted had their anger made them.

Benedick remained, and assisted Beatrice to recover Hero from her
swoon, saying, "How does the lady?" "Dead, I think," replied Beatrice
in great agony, for she loved her cousin; and knowing her virtuous
principles, she believed nothing of what she had heard spoken against
her. Not so the poor old father; he believed the story of his child's
shame, and it was piteous to hear him lamenting over her, as she