Emelia mourned sadly for her valiant knight.  As for Palamon, all his old love for Arcite came back, and he wept for him as bitterly as he had bewailed his own sorrow in the dungeon.

When all the Greeks had ceased to mourn for Arcite, Palamon still grieved for the death of his friend, and for the strife that had been between them.

After two years Theseus sent one day for Palamon and Emelia.  Palamon came to the court in his black robes of mourning; but Emelia was dressed in white, as she had been on the May morning in the garden years before.  She had ceased to mourn for Arcite, and was Emelia the Radiant once more.

Palamon caught his breath.  He had not seen her since they parted after Arcite’s death.

Duke Theseus said, “Sister, I desire thee now to take the noble knight Palamon to be thy husband.  Have pity on his long service, and accept him.”

Then he said to Palamon, “It will not need much speech to gain thy consent!  Come, take thy lady by the hand.”

Then, in the presence of all the court, they were wed.  When all was over, Emelia fled from the noise and tumult of the hall, and beckoned to Palamon to follow.  Out at the great hall doors she led him, and down the pathway to the garden beneath the tower.  When he joined her, she pointed to the dungeon window, and told him of the day when she had looked at the prison in the morning mist, and murmured to herself the names of the captive princes, “Palamon and Arcite, Palamon and Arcite.”

But it was not till many years of joyous life had passed over their home that Palamon told Emelia that he had seen her first on that very morning when she had thought so sadly of his misery.

III

GRISELDA

Once upon a time there lived a fair young girl whose name was Griselda.  Her home was in an Italian village.  There she dwelt in a lowly cottage with her father, Janicola.  He was too old and weak to work for her, or even for himself.

All round the village lay the fruitful fields and vineyards of the plain, and on the slopes near grew olive-trees laden with fruit.  Far in the distance rose the snow-capped mountains of the North.

Even in so rich a land it was not easy for this young Griselda to make her father’s life as pleasant as she would have wished it to be.  She lived plainly and barely.  She was busy all day long.  Now she was herding a few sheep on the broken ground near the village, and spinning as she watched her flock.  Again she fetched the water from the well or gathered roots and herbs from which to make drugs.

Griselda was not unhappy though her life was hard, because she was so glad that she could serve her father and show her love to him, forgetting about herself and her own wishes.