“At that tale of horror I fell upon the sand, weeping bitterly, for I had no desire to live any longer or look on the light of the sun.  Long I lay mourning, as one who had lost all hope, but at last Proteus checked the torrent of my passion, and bade me take thought of my own homecoming.  ‘This is no time,’ he said, ’to melt away in womanish grief.  Haste thee to take vengeance, if so be that Orestes hath not forestalled thee, and slain his father’s murderer.’

“Somewhat comforted by these words, I took courage to ask who was the man of whom he had spoken as a prisoner of the sea.  ’It is the son of Laertes,’ answered Proteus, ’Odysseus, whose home is in Ithaca.  I myself saw him on an island, in the house of the nymph Calypso; and sore he wept because he could not leave the goddess, who holds him in thrall, and will not suffer him to return to his country.’

“Lastly, he told me concerning my own fate.  ‘Thou, Menelaus,’ he said, ’art exempt from the common lot of men, because thou art the husband of Helen, and she is a daughter of Zeus.  Therefore it is not appointed for thee to die, but when thine hour is come the gods shall convey thee to the Elysian fields, where dwell the elect spirits in everlasting blessedness.  There falls not snow nor rain, there blows no rude blast, but the fresh cool breath of the west comes softly from Ocean to refresh them that dwell in that happy clime.’”

Thus happily ended the story of the Spartan prince’s wanderings.  And when he had finished, he pressed Telemachus to prolong his visit; but that prudent youth declined the invitation, pleading the necessity of a speedy return to Ithaca, that he might keep an eye on the doings of the suitors.  Menelaus was compelled to allow the justice of his plea, and accordingly all things were made ready for a speedy departure.

III

We must now return to Ithaca, and see what reception was preparing for Telemachus when he came back from his adventurous journey.  Two or three days after he left Ithaca the suitors were gathered before the doors of Odysseus, playing at quoits, or hurling their javelins at a mark.  Presently a young noble came up to the group, and addressing Antinous, who was watching the sport, asked him if he had heard aught of Telemachus.  “I would fain know how long he is like to be absent from Ithaca,” he said; “for he has borrowed my ship, and I have need of her.  Know ye when he is to return from Pylos?”

Antinous heard him with amazement; for neither he nor any other of the suitors knew that Telemachus had sailed from Ithaca, supposing him to be absent on his farm.  So he questioned the youth closely as to the time and manner of that voyage, how the crew was composed, and whether the vessel was lent willingly, or taken by force.  “Of my own free will I lent her,” answered the lad, “why should I not help him in his need?  As to the crew, they were all picked men, and well born; and the captain was Mentor, or some god in his likeness; for I saw Mentor yesterday in the town, and not a ship has touched at Ithaca since they sailed.”