The good countess, who in silent grief had beheld her son’s danger, and had even dreaded that the suspicion of his having destroyed his wife might possibly be true, finding her dear Helena, whom she loved with even a maternal affection, was still living, felt a delight she was hardly able to support; and the king, scarce believing for joy that it was Helena, said: “Is this indeed the wife of Bertram that I see?” Helena, feeling herself yet an unacknowledged wife, replied: “No, my good lord, it is but the shadow of a wife you see, the name and not the thing.” Bertram cried out: “Both, both! O pardon!”—”O my lord,” said Helena, “when I personated this fair maid, I found you wondrous kind; and look, here is your letter!” reading to him in a joyful tone those words which she had once repeated so sorrowfully: When from my finger you can get this ring,—” This is done; it was to me you gave the ring. Will you be mine, now you are doubly won?” Bertram replied: “If you can make it plain that you were the lady I talked with that night, I will love you dearly ever, ever dearly.” This was no difficult task, for the widow and Diana came with Helena to prove this fact; and the king was so well pleased with Diana, for the friendly assistance she had rendered the dear lady he so truly valued for the service she had done him, that he promised her also a noble husband: Helena’s history giving him a hint, that it was a suitable reward for kings to bestow upon fair ladies when they perform notable services.
Thus Helena at last found that her father’s legacy was indeed sanctified by the luckiest stars in heaven; for she was now the beloved wife of her dear Bertram, the daughter-in-law of her noble mistress, and herself the countess of Rousillon.
Wordmeaning:
Bore: To move while holding up and supporting (something)
Mandate: An authoritative command
Mourned: To feel or express grief or sorrow
Purport : Meaning conveyed, professed, or implied
Solicit: To make petition to
Prophetic: Foretelling events.
Remembrance : The ability to remember : memory
Perceived: To attain awareness or understanding of
Unacknowledged: Not generally recognized, accepted, or admitted :
Wondrous : That is to be marveled at.
Personated: To assume without authority and with fraudulent intent (some character or capacity)
(Collected from www.merriam-webster.com )
Did Bertram kill Helena?
Who was Helena’s father?
How Bertram and Helena knew each other?
What did Bertram do in Florence?
Who came to Rousillon to take Bertram to Paris?
Explain how Helena and Bertram got married?
From Tales from Shakespeare