Greatly to the disgust of the other two wives, Katharine instantly obeyed.
“Lord, let me never have a cause to sigh till I be brought to such a silly pass,” said Hortensio’s wife, and even the gentle Bianca exclaimed with equal disdain:
“Fie! what sort of foolish duty do you call this?”
“I wish your duty were as foolish, too,” said her husband. “The wisdom of your duty, fair Bianca, has cost me a hundred crowns since supper-time.”
“The more fool you, for wagering on my duty!” was Bianca’s unkind reply.
Then Petruchio bade Katharine tell the other headstrong women what duty they owed their husbands. And this she straightway did, in a speech of such wonderful grace and submission that all her hearers were amazed. As for her husband, he was delighted with the result of his somewhat rough schooling. “Come, Kate!” he said. “Good-night!” And he retired triumphantly with his now loving and devoted wife.
“Come, Kate!... Good-night!”