t scarce
had she time to thank him for the service he had done her, before he
began to distress her afresh with his love suit; and while he was rudely
pressing her to consent to marry him, and his page (the forlorn Julia)
was standing beside him in great anxiety of mind, fearing lest the great
service which Proteus had just done to Silvia should win her to show him
some favour, they were all strangely surprised with the sudden
appearance of Valentine, who, having heard his robbers had taken a lady
prisoner, came to console and relieve her.

Proteus was courting Silvia, and he was so much ashamed of being caught
by his friend, that he was all at once seized with penitence and
remorse; and he expressed such a lively sorrow for the injuries he had
done to Valentine, that Valentine, whose nature was noble and generous,
even to a romantic degree, not only forgave and restored him to his
former place in his friendship, but in a sudden flight of heroism he
said, "I freely do forgive you; and all the interest I have in Silvia, I
give it up to you." Julia, who was standing beside her master as a page,
hearing this strange offer, and fearing Proteus would not be able with
this new-found virtue to refuse Silvia, fainted, and they were all
employed in recovering her: else would Silvia have been offended at
being thus made over to Proteus, though she could scarcely think that
Valentine would long persevere in this overstrained and too generous act
of friendship. When Julia recovered from the fainting fit, she said, "I
had forgot, my master ordered me to deliver this ring to Silvia."
Proteus, looking upon the ring, saw that it was the one he gave to
Julia, in return for that which he received from her, and which he had
sent by the supposed page to Silvia. "How is this?" said he, "this is
Julia's ring: how came you by it, boy?" Julia answered, "Julia herself
did give it me, and Julia herself hath brought it hither."

Proteus, now looking earnestly upon her, plainly perceived that the page
Sebastian was no other than the Lady Julia herself; and the proof she
had given of her constancy and true love so wrought in him, that his
love for her returned into his heart, and he took again his own dear
lady, and joyfully resigned all pretensions to the Lady Silvia to
Valentine, who had so well deserved her.

Proteus and Valentine were expressing their happiness in their
reconciliation, and in the love of their faithful ladies when they were