ero. If a suspicion had remained it must have been
removed by the flight of Don John, who, funding his villanies were
detected, fled from Messina to avoid the just anger of his brother.

The heart of Claudio was sorely grieved when he found he had falsely
accused Hero, who, he thought, died upon hearing his cruel words; and
the memory of his beloved Hero's image came over him, in the rare
semblance that he loved it first; and the prince asking him if what he
heard did not run like iron through his soul, he answered, that he felt
as if he had taken poison while Borachio was speaking.

And the repentant Claudio implored forgiveness of the old man Leonato
for the injury he had done his child; and promised, that whatever
penance Leonato would lay upon him for his fault in believing the false
accusation against his betrothed wife, for her dear sake he would
endure it.

The penance Leonato enjoined him was, to marry the next morning a
cousin of Hero's, who, he said, was now his heir, and in person very
like Hero. Claudio, regarding the solemn promise he made to Leonato,
said, he would marry this unknown lady, even though she were an Ethiop:
but his heart was very sorrowful, and he passed that night in tears,
and in remorseful grief, at the tomb which Leonato had erected for Hero.

When the morning came, the prince accompanied Claudio to the church,
where the good friar, and Leonato and his niece, were already
assembled, to celebrate a second nuptial; and Leonato presented to
Claudio his promised bride; and she wore a mask, that Claudio might not
discover her face. And Claudio said to the lady in the mask: 'Give me
your hand, before this holy friar; I am your husband, if you will marry
me.' 'And when I lived I was your other wife,' said this unknown lady;
and, taking off her mask, she proved to be no niece (as was pretended),
but Leonato's very daughter, the lady Hero herself. We may be sure that
this proved a most agreeable surprise to Claudio, who thought her dead,
so that he could scarcely for joy believe his eyes; and the prince, who
was equally amazed at what he saw, exclaimed: 'Is not this Hero, Hero
that was dead?' Leonato replied: 'She died, my lord, but while her
slander lived.' The friar promised them an explanation of this seeming
miracle, after the ceremony was ended; and was proceeding to marry
them, when he was interrupted by Benedick, who desired to be married at
the same time to Beatrice. Beatrice making som