Chapter: SCENE 4.

The same. A street

[Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALARINO, and SALANIO.]

LORENZO.
Nay, we will slink away in supper-time,
Disguise us at my lodging, and return
All in an hour.

GRATIANO.
We have not made good preparation.

SALARINO.
We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers.

SALANIO.
'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly order'd,
And better in my mind not undertook.

LORENZO.
'Tis now but four o'clock; we have two hours
To furnish us.

[Enter LAUNCELOT, With a letter.]

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

LAUNCELOT.
An it shall please you to break up this, it shall seem
to signify.

LORENZO.
I know the hand; in faith, 'tis a fair hand,
And whiter than the paper it writ on
Is the fair hand that writ.

GRATIANO.
Love news, in faith.

LAUNCELOT.
By your leave, sir.

LORENZO.
Whither goest thou?

LAUNCELOT.
Marry, sir, to bid my old master, the Jew, to sup
to-night with my new master, the Christian.

LORENZO.
Hold, here, take this. Tell gentle Jessica
I will not fail her; speak it privately.
Go, gentlemen,

[Exit LAUNCELOT]

Will you prepare you for this masque to-night?
I am provided of a torch-bearer.

SALARINO.
Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight.

SALANIO.
And so will I.

LORENZO.
Meet me and Gratiano
At Gratiano's lodging some hour hence.

SALARINO.
'Tis good we do so.

[Exeunt SALARINO and SALANIO.]

GRATIANO.
Was not that letter from fair Jessica?

LORENZO.
I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed
How I shall take her from her father's house;
What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with;
What page's suit she hath in readiness.
If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven,
It will be for his gentle daughter's sake;
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
Unless she do it under this excuse,
That she is issue to a faithless Jew.
Come, go with me, peruse this as thou goest;
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.

[Exeunt]

 Lorenzo, Graziano, Solanio, and Salerio all meet at a street in Venice to discuss a plot they've concocted that is not quite ready to be carried out. Lorenzo suggests that they slip away during dinnertime and disguise themselves, but Salerio points out that they don't have torchbearers , and Solanio thinks the whole thing is a waste of time unless it's really carefully organized. Just then, Lancelot enters with Jessica's letter, which Lorenzo is excited to receive. Hearing that Lancelot is planning to invite Shylock to dine with Bassanio, Lorenzo tells Lancelot to secretly deliver a letter to Jessica. After Lancelot is gone, Lorenzo cryptically announces that he's found a torchbearer after all. So Lorenzo instructs everyone to meet up at Graziano's house later that evening. He is then left alone with Graziano to unfold the secret contents of Jessica's letter, which says the following: "Dear Sweetie, Please steal me away from my father's house, sooner rather than later. Oh, and I've got some gold and manservants packed and ready to go." Lorenzo declares that any harm the girl comes to will be because she is the child of a "faithless Jew" and for no other reason...especially not her being a thief. Lorenzo hands the letter to Graziano to read and announces that Jessica will be his torchbearer.

