Page:Stories from Old English Poetry-1899.djvu/234

210 Nerissa, both the roguish ladies rated their husbands unmercifully, pretending to believe that they had parted with their rings to some women as love-tokens.

Amid the protestations of the husbands, and the pretended anger of the wives, Portia and Nerissa suddenly produced the rings, and while Bassanio and Gratiano were struck dumb with wonder at seeing the jewels which they supposed graced the fingers of the doctor and his clerk in Padua, Portia related to the puzzled gentlemen and the astonished Antonio how his cause had been gained by a woman’s wit.

So the troubles of Antonio ended merrily. His ships, which were supposed lost, came safe to port with a rich burden, and all was happiness at Belmont. Bassanio and Portia lived to the end of their days in such complete peace and happiness, as proved the wisdom of the old Merchant of Venice in trusting to the inspiration of true love to find out its idol, even though hidden closely in a leaden casket.