Olivia, wishing to speak once more with the young page Cesario, sent
the clown in search of him, but Feste, by chance, happened to meet
Sebastian instead, and thinking he was the person he was in search of,
he delivered his lady’s message to him.
Sebastian could not understand in the least what he meant, but he was
still further surprised when a very foolish-looking gentleman ran up
to him, and struck him a blow, saying:
“Now, sir, have I met you again? There’s for you!”
“Why, there’s for you, and there, and there!” retorted Sebastian,
repaying his blows with interest. “Are all the people mad?”
Sir Andrew was surprised and very much disgusted to find that the
young man whom they had taken for a coward could strike so vigorously
with his fists. Sir Toby interfered on behalf of his timorous friend,
and he and Sebastian had drawn their swords to fight in earnest, when
Olivia, warned by Feste, came hurrying up. She sternly commanded Sir
Toby to stay his hand, and implored Sebastian, whom she took for
Cesario, to pardon the rudeness of her kinsman, and to go with her
into the house.
“Either I am mad or else this is a dream,” thought the bewildered
Sebastian, when he heard this beautiful lady speaking to him as if
he were already a dear friend. But, dream or not, it was extremely
pleasant, and he was quite willing that the illusion should continue.
“If it be thus to dream, let me sleep still,” he said to himself.
This handsome young gallant was by no means so indifferent to the
Countess Olivia as Cesario had been, and when she proposed that they
should be married at once, he was quite willing to consent. He would
gladly have consulted his kind friend Antonio, the sea-captain, but
this was not possible, for on going to the Elephant Inn, which was
the place of meeting arranged, Antonio had never appeared to keep
his appointment. The reason we know already, although Sebastian did
not--Antonio had been arrested by Duke Orsino’s officers.
The marriage had only taken place two hours, when Orsino, accompanied
by Viola, came to Olivia’s house, and almost immediately afterwards
Antonio was led in by the officers. Now came fresh confusion; Antonio
again thought Viola was Sebastian, and taxed him bitterly with his
ingratitude. Viola stoutly denied ever having seen Antonio before,
except on the one occasion when he had saved him from the valiant Sir
Andrew. Antonio declared that for the last three months they had never
parted company, day or night, whereupon the Duke declared his words
must be madness, because for the last three months the youth had been
his own attendant.
Then came Olivia, who thought that Viola was the man to whom she had
been married, and amazed her by calling her “husband.” The priest who
had actually married them was called as witness, and declared this
was true. It was now the Duke’s turn to be indignant with Viola for
her supposed deceit and treachery, for he thought that when he had
sent Cesario to woo Olivia on his behalf, the young page had taken the
opportunity to secure the lady for himself.
Matters were in this tangled state of confusion, when all was happily
put right by the arrival of Sebastian. When the twins stood together
everyone was amazed at the resemblance. The brother and sister were
delighted to meet once more. Antonio found that his friend was not the
monster of ingratitude he had taken him for; and Olivia was restored
to a handsome and devoted husband, who had no intention of denying his
own wife.
Orsino might perhaps have been sad at discovering that the Countess
Olivia was now lost to him for ever, but while a charming young bride
stood ready at his hand, he was not unwilling to be consoled. Viola’s
faithful service met its reward.
“Since you have called me ‘master’ for so long,” said the Duke, “here
is my hand; you shall from this time be your master’s mistress.”
Olivia said that Viola and the Duke must now look on her as a sister,
and that the wedding should take place from her house.
So they all trooped merrily away, and Feste, the clown, was left
singing to himself:
“When that I was and a little tiny boy,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
A foolish thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.
“But when I came to man’s estate,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
’Gainst knaves and thieves men shut their gate,
For the rain it raineth every day.
“A great while ago the world begun,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
But that’s all one, our play is done,
And we’ll strive to please you every day.”