And she had scarce finished these words when Hyllus her son came in great haste; and when he saw her, he cried, “O my mother! would that I had found thee dead, or that thou wert not my mother, or that thou wert of a better mind than I know thee to be of.”

But she said, “What have I done, my son, that thou so abhorrest me?”

“This day thou hast done my father to death.”

“What sayest thou?  Who told thee this horrible thing that thou bringest against me?”

“I saw it with mine own eyes.  And if thou wilt hear the whole matter, hearken.  My father, having taken with his spear the city of Eurytus, went to a certain place hard by the sea, that he might offer sacrifices to Zeus, according to his vow.  And even as he was about to begin, there came Lichas the herald bringing thy gift, the deadly robe.  And he put it upon him as thou badest, and slew the beasts for the sacrifice, even twelve oxen chosen out of the prey, and one hundred other beasts.  And for a while he did worship to the Gods with a glad heart, rejoicing in the beauty of his apparel.  But when the fire grew hot, and the sweat came out upon his skin, the robe clung about him as though one had fitted it to him by art, and there went a great pang of pain through him, even as the sting of a serpent.  And then he called to Lichas the herald, and would fain know for what end he had brought this accursed raiment.  And when the wretch said that it was thy gift, he caught him by the foot, and cast him on a rock that was in the sea hard by, and all his brains were scattered upon it.  And all the people groaned to see this thing, that the man perished so miserably, and that such madness wrought in thy husband.  Nor did any one dare to draw near to him, for he threw himself now into the air, and now upon the ground, so fierce was the pain; and all the rocks about sounded again with his groaning.  But after a while he spied me where I stood waiting in the crowd, and called to me, and said, ’Come hither, my son; fly not from me in my trouble, even if it needs be that thou die with me.  But take me, and set me where no man may see me; but above all carry me from this land, that I die not here.’  Whereupon we laid him in the hold of a ship, and brought him to this place, where thou wilt see him soon, either newly dead or on the point to die.  This is what thou hast done, my mother; for thou hast slain thy husband, such a man as thou shalt never more see upon this earth.”

And when the Queen heard this, she spake not a word, but hasted into the palace, and ran through it like unto one that is smitten with madness.  And at the last she entered the chamber of Hercules, and sat down in the midst and wept piteously, saying, “O my marriage-bed, where never more I shall lie, farewell!” And as she spake she loosed the golden brooch that was upon her heart, and bared all her left side; and before any could hinder her—­for her nurse had seen what she did, and had run to fetch her son—­she took a two-edged sword and smote herself to the heart, and so fell dead.  And as she fell there came her son, that now knew from them of the household how she had been deceived of that evil beast the Centaur, and fell upon her with many tears and cries, saying that now he was bereaved both of father and of mother in one day.