Silvia with music, and addressing discourse of love
and admiration to her. And Julia overheard Silvia from a window talk
with Proteus, and reproach him for forsaking his own true lady, and for
his ingratitude to his friend Valentine; and then Silvia left the
window, not choosing to listen to his music and his fine speeches; for
she was a faithful lady to her banished Valentine, and abhorred the
ungenerous conduct of his false friend Proteus.

Though Julia was in despair at what she had just witnessed, yet did she
still love the truant Proteus; and hearing that he had lately parted
with a servant, she contrived with the assistance of her host, the
friendly innkeeper, to hire herself to Proteus as a page; and Proteus
knew not she was Julia, and he sent her with letters and presents to her
rival Silvia, and he even sent by her the very ring she gave him as a
parting gift at Verona.

When she went to that lady with the ring, she was most glad to find that
Silvia utterly rejected the suit of Proteus; and Julia, or the page
Sebastian as she was called, entered into conversation with Silvia about
Proteus' first love, the forsaken Lady Julia. She putting in (as one may
say) a good word for herself, said she knew Julia; as well she might,
being herself the Julia of whom she spoke; telling how fondly Julia
loved her master Proteus, and how his unkind neglect would grieve her:
and then she with a pretty equivocation went on: "Julia is about my
height, and of my complexion, the colour of her eyes and hair the same
as mine:" and indeed Julia looked a most beautiful youth in her boy's
attire. Silvia was moved to pity this lovely lady, who was so sadly
forsaken by the man she loved; and when Julia offered the ring which
Proteus had sent, refused it, saying, "The more shame for him that he
sends me that ring; I will not take it; for I have often heard him say
his Julia gave it to him. I love thee, gentle youth, for pitying her,
poor lady! Here is a purse; I give it you for Julia's sake." These
comfortable words coming from her kind rival's tongue cheered the
drooping heart of the disguised lady.

But to return to the banished Valentine; who scarce knew which way to
bend his course, being unwilling to return home to his father a
disgraced and banished man: as he was wandering over a lonely forest,
not far distant from Milan, where he had left his heart's dear treasure,
the Lady Silvia, he was set upon by robbers, who demanded his mon