They keep her, in these huts, among the hordes
Of numbered slaves.—­The host whose labouring swords
Won her, have given her up to me, to fill
My pleasure; perchance kill her, or not kill,
But lead her home.—­Methinks I have foregone
The slaying of Helen here in Ilion.... 
Over the long seas I will bear her back,
And there, there, cast her out to whatso wrack
Of angry death they may devise, who know
Their dearest dead for her in Ilion.—­Ho! 
Ye soldiers!  Up into the chambers where
She croucheth!  Grip the long blood-reeking hair,
And drag her to mine eyes ... [Controlling himself. 
     And when there come
Fair breezes, my long ships shall bear her home.
  [The Soldiers go to force open the door of the second hut on the left.

HECUBA.

Thou deep Base of the World[37], and thou high Throne
Above the World, whoe’er thou art, unknown
And hard of surmise, Chain of Things that be,
Or Reason of our Reason; God, to thee
I lift my praise, seeing the silent road
That bringeth justice ere the end be trod
To all that breathes and dies.

MENELAUS (turning).

Ha! who is there
That prayeth heaven, and in so strange a prayer?

HECUBA.

I bless thee, Menelaus, I bless thee,
If thou wilt slay her!  Only fear to see
Her visage, lest she snare thee and thou fall! 
She snareth strong men’s eyes; she snareth tall
Cities; and fire from out her eateth up
Houses.  Such magic hath she, as a cup
Of death!...  Do I not know her?  Yea, and thou,
And these that lie around, do they not know?
  [The Soldiers return from the hut and stand aside to let HELEN pass
between them.  She comes through them, gentle and unafraid; there is no
disorder in her raiment.

HELEN.

King Menelaus, thy first deed might make
A woman fear.  Into my chamber brake
 Thine armed men, and lead me wrathfully. 
  Methinks, almost, I know thou hatest me. 
Yet I would ask thee, what decree is gone
Forth for my life or death?

MENELAUS (struggling with his emotion). 
     There was not one
That scrupled for thee.  All, all with one will
Gave thee to me, whom thou hast wronged, to kill!

HELEN.

And is it granted that I speak, or no,
In answer to them ere I die, to show
I die most wronged and innocent?

MENELAUS.

I seek
To kill thee, woman; not to hear thee speak!

HECUBA.

O hear her!  She must never die unheard,
King Menelaus!  And give me the word
To speak in answer!  All the wrong she wrought
Away from thee, in Troy, thou knowest not. 
The whole tale set together is a death
Too sure; she shall not ’scape thee!

MENELAUS.

’Tis but breath
And time.  For thy sake, Hecuba, if she need
To speak, I grant the prayer.  I have no heed
Nor mercy—­let her know it well—­for her!