again, my soul upon the forfeit, your lord will never more break his faith with you."-"Then you shall be his surety," said Portia; "give him this ring, and bid him keep it better than the other." When Bassanio looked at this ring, he was strangely surprised to find it was the same he gave away; and then Portia told him how she was the young counsellor, and Nerissa was her clerk; and Bassanio found, to his unspeakable wonder and delight, that it was by the noble courage and wisdom of his wife that Antonio's life was saved. And Portia again welcomed Antonio, and gave him letters which by some chance had fallen into her hands, which contained an account of Antonio's ships, that were supposed lost, being safely arrived in the harbour. So these tragical beginnings of this rich merchant's story were all forgotten in the unexpected good fortune which ensued; and there was leisure to laugh at the comical adventure of the rings, and the husbands that did not know their own wives: Gratiano merrily swearing, in a sort of rhyming speech, that - while he lived, he'd fear no other thing af front' ed, openly insulted. cur' rish, like a cur. duc' at, a gold or silver coin, ranging in value from 83 cents to $2.25. Gratiano (grā shi ä' nō). gra' tis, freely. pat' ri mo ny, an inheritance from an ancestor. pal' try, having little or no value. pra' ting, foolish talking. scru' ple, an apothecaries' weight of u' su rer, one who loans money at interest. THE GUIDE TO PRONUNCIATION. The following key explains the symbols which are used in the vocabulary of Number V. of The New Century Readers, to indicate the pronunciation of the vowels. It is based upon the latest edition of Webster's International Dictionary: as in use. as in rude. as in full. as in ûrn. as in fly. as in moon. as in good. as in out. as in oil. as in ink. as in this. H has a sound similar to N-represents the nasal Silent letters are italicized. in (äN' säN' b'l). ensemble Certain vowels, as a and e, when obscured, are also italicized. |