LELIA. 
Prythee, leave thy foolery, and let me know thy news.

NURSE.  Your brother Fortunatus and your love to-morrow night will meet you by the forest-side, there to confer about I know not what:  but it is like that Sophos will make you of his privy council, before you come again.

LELIA. 
Is Fortunatus then returned from the wars?

NURSE.  He is with Sophos every day:  but in any case you must not let your father know; for he hath sworn he will not be descried, until he have effected your desires; for he swaggers and swears out of all cry, that he will venture all,

    Both fame and blood, and limb and life,
    But Lelia shall be Sophos’ wedded wife.

LELIA. 
Alas! nurse, my father’s jealous brain
Doth scarce allow me once a month to go
Beyond the compass of his watchful eyes,
Nor once afford me any conference
With any man, except with Master Churms,
Whose crafty brain beguiles my father so,
That he reposeth trust in none but him: 
And though he seeks for favour at my hands,
He takes his mark amiss, and shoots awry;
For I had rather see the devil himself
Than Churms the lawyer.  Therefore
How I should meet them by the forest-side
I cannot possibly devise.

NURSE.  And Master Churms must be the man must work the means:  you must this night send for him; make him believe you love him mightily; tell him you have a secret friend dwells far away beyond the forest, to whom, if he can secretly convey you from your father, tell him, you will love him better than ever God loved him:  and when you come to the place appointed, let them alone to discharge the knave of clubs:  and that you must not fail, here receive this ring, which Fortunatus sent you for a token, that this is the plot that you must prosecute; and this from Sophos, as his true love’s pledge.

LELIA. 
This ring my brother sent, I know right well: 
But this my true love’s pledge I more esteem
Than all the golden mines the solid earth contains—­
And see, in happy time, here comes Master Churms.

    Enter CHURMS.

Now love and fortune both conspire,
And sort their drifts to compass my desire. 
Master Churms, y’are well met; I am glad to see you.

CHURMS.
And I as glad to see fair Lelia,
As ever Paris was to see his dear;
For whom so many Trojans’ blood was spilt: 
Nor think I would do less than spend my dearest blood
To gain fair Lelia’s love, although by loss of life.

NURSE.  ’Faith, mistress, he speaks like a gentleman.  Let me persuade you; be not hard-hearted.  Sophos?  Why, what’s he?  If he had loved you but half so well, he would ha’ come through stone walls, but he would have come to you ere this.

LELIA. 
I must confess, I once lov’d Sophos well;
But now I cannot love him, whom
All the world knows to be a dissembler.