d: 'I humbly thank your grace, but I must away
directly.' The duke said he was sorry he had not leisure to stay and
dine with him; and turning to Antonio, he added: 'Reward this
gentleman; for in my mind you are much indebted to him.'

The duke and his senators left the court; and then Bassanio said to
Portia: 'Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend Antonio have by your
wisdom been this day acquitted of grievous penalties, and I beg you
will accept of the three thousand ducats due unto the Jew.' 'And we
shall stand indebted to you over and above,' said Antonio, 'in love and
service evermore.'

Portia could not be prevailed upon to accept the money; but upon
Bassanio still pressing her to accept of some reward, she said: 'Give
me your gloves; I will wear them for your sake'; and then Bassanio
taking off his gloves, she espied the ring which she had given him upon
his finger: now it was the ring the wily lady wanted to get from him to
make a merry jest when she saw her Bassanio again, that made her ask
him for his gloves; and she said, when she saw the ring, 'and for your
love I will take this ring from you.' Bassanio was sadly distressed
that the counsellor should ask him for the only thing he could not part
with, and he replied in great confusion, that he could not give him
that ring, because it was his wife's gift, and he had vowed never to
part with it; but that he would give him the most valuable ring in
Venice, and find it out by proclamation. On this Portia affected to be
affronted, and left the court, saying: 'You teach me, sir, how a beggar
should be answered.'

'Dear Bassanio,' said Antonio, 'let him have the ring; let my love and
the great service he has done for me be valued against your wife's
displeasure,' Bassanio, ashamed to appear so ungrateful, yielded, and
sent Gratiano after Portia with the ring; and then the clerk Nerissa,
who had also given Gratiano a ring, she begged his ring, and Gratiano
(not choosing to be outdone in generosity by his lord) gave it to her.
And there was laughing among these ladies to think, when they got
home, how they would tax their husbands with giving away their rings,
and swear that they had given them as a present to some woman.

Portia, when she returned, was in that happy temper of mind which never
fails to attend the consciousness of having performed a good action;
her cheerful spirits enjoyed everything she saw: the moon never seemed
to shine so bright before; and