[Enter Valentine]

DUKE  Sir Valentine, whither away so fast?

VALENTINE    Please it your grace, there is a messenger

That stays to bear my letters to my friends,

And I am going to deliver them.

DUKE Be they of much import?

VALENTINE    The tenor of them doth but signify

My health and happy being at your court.            (3.1.51-57)

Clearly Valentine is either unavoidably having to pass by the Duke, but is trying to do so as quickly as possible, or else he enters, notices him, and tries to retreat. Either way, the Duke already has the upper hand: Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? What’s the rush, where are you going in such a hurry? And Valentine can quickly gather his wits—oh, my lord, I didn’t notice you there, fancy seeing you here, in a bit of a hurry though—please it your grace, if you don’t mind, forgive me for not stopping (scrupulously polite) there is a messenger that stays to bear my letters to my friends, and I am going to deliver them. I’ve got a courier waiting! Urgent post to my people back in Verona! Be they of much import? asks the Duke, with smooth concern. Are they really urgent, these letters? Perhaps he’s ready to offer sympathy, help, assistance. Is there anything I can do, is something wrong, some kind of emergency or crisis? And Valentine walks into the trap: oh no, not urgent at all, don’t worry about me, nothing to see here. The tenor of them doth but signify my health and happy being at your court. All they have to say is, having a lovely time, weather’s great, wish you were here, Duke’s a top bloke. Nothing more urgent or substantial than that! But, look, I’ve really got to go, sorry…?