f meat, and he said to her: 'How fares my
sweet Kate? Here, love, you see how diligent I am, I have dressed your
meat myself. I am sure this kindness merits thanks. What, not a word?
Nay, then you love not the meat, and all the pains I have taken is to
no purpose.' He then ordered the servant to take the dish away. Extreme
hunger, which had abated the pride of Katharine, made her say, though
angered to the heart: 'I pray you let it stand.' But this was not all
Petruchio intended to bring her to, and he replied: 'The poorest
service is repaid with thanks, and so shall mine before you touch the
meat.' On this Katharine brought out a reluctant 'I thank you, sir.'
And now he suffered her to make a slender meal, saying: 'Much good may
it do your gentle heart, Kate; eat apace! And now, my honey love, we
will return to your father's house, and revel it as bravely as the
best, with silken coats and caps and golden rings, with ruffs and
scares and fans and double change of finery'; and to make her believe
he really intended to give her these gay things, he called in a tailor
and a haberdasher, who brought some new clothes he had ordered for her,
and then giving her plate to the servant to take away, before she had
half satisfied her hunger, he said: 'What, have you dined?' The
haberdasher presented a cap, saying: 'Here is the cap your worship
bespoke'; on which Petruchio began to storm afresh, saying the cap was
moulded in a porringer, and that it was no bigger than a cockle or
walnut shell, desiring the haberdasher to take it away and make it
bigger. Katharine said: 'I will have this; all gentlewomen wear such
caps as these.' 'When you are gentle,' replied Petruchio, 'you shall
have one too, and not till then.' The meat Katharine had eaten had a
little revived her fallen spirits, and she said: 'Why, sir, I trust I
may have leave to speak, and speak I will: I am no child, no babe; your
betters have endured to hear me say my mind; and if you cannot, you had
better stop your ears.' Petruchio would not hear these angry words, for
he had happily discovered a better way of managing his wife than
keeping up a jangling argument with her; therefore his answer was:
'Why, you say true; it is a paltry cap, and I love you for not liking
it.' 'Love me, or love me not,' said Katharine, 'I like the cap, and I
will have this cap or none.' 'You say you wish to see the gown,' said
Petruchio, still affecting to misunderstand her. The tailor then cam