Then said the chief of the elders, “Listen to her, herald, for her words are fair.  But tell me now, hath Menelaues had safe return?”

“Would,” said he, “I had some better thing to tell!  But what profiteth it to deceive?  Truly, the man, together with his ship, is vanished out of our sight.”

“Sailed he then before you?” said the elder, “or was he parted from you in a storm?”

“Twas even so,” answered the herald.

“And did men judge of him as living or dead?”

“That, indeed, no man knoweth, but only the sun who seeth all things.  But hearken, I will declare the whole matter.  There went out wrath from heaven against us.  For after we had set sail, the waves rose high in the night, and the fierce winds from the north dashed our ships one against another, so that when the morning came, lo! the sea was covered with bodies of men and wrecks.  But the ship of the King suffered not, for the hand of a god, I trow, and not of a man, held the helm.  But be of good cheer.  For doubtless they too think of us as of those that have perished, even as we of them.  And as for Menelaues, be assured that he will yet return, for the will of Zeus is not that this house should perish.”

Then said one of the old men, “Rightly they named her Helen, for like hell hath she devoured men and ships, aye, and this great city of Troy.  I have heard tell how a man reared a lion’s cub in his house.  Very pleasant was he at the first, for the children played with him, and he made sport for the old; but when he grew he showed the temper of his race, and filled the house with blood.  Even so came Helen, smiling and fair, to Troy, and now behold the end!  But here cometh King Agamemnon.  Let us greet him in fitting fashion.”

And as he spake the King came near to the doors of the palace, sitting in a chariot drawn by mules; and by him sat Cassandra, who was daughter to King Priam, having been given to him by the princes when they divided the spoil of Troy.  And when the King had saluted the Gods, giving them thanks that they had helped him to take vengeance on the men of Troy, and had also set forth his purpose to order all things in a regular assembly if anything had been done amiss in his absence, there came forth the Queen to greet him, saying, “I am not ashamed, men of Argos, to confess that with great gladness of heart I receive my husband.  For truly it is an evil lot for a woman when she sitteth alone in her house, hearing continually rumours and tidings of misfortune.  Verily, had my lord here been wounded as oft as fame related this thing of him, these same wounds had been more in number than the meshes of a net; and had he died as often as men reported him dead, three bodies such as the story telleth Geryon to have had, had not sufficed him.  Hence it is, O King, that our son Orestes is not here, for I sent him to Strophius the Phocian, who is, as thou knowest, an ancient friend of our house, fearing, if aught should befall thee