But Orestes answered, “I must bear my own troubles.  This indeed would be a shameful thing, that when thou seekest to help me, I should destroy thee.  But as for me, seeing how the Gods deal with me, it is well that I should die.  Thou, indeed, art happy, and thy house is blessed; but my house is accursed.  Go, therefore, and my sister, whom I have given thee to wife, shall bear thee children, and the house of my father shall not perish.  And I charge thee that when thou art safe returned to the city of Argos, thou do these things.  First, thou shalt build a tomb for me, and my sister shall make an offering there of her hair and of her tears also.  And tell her that I died, slain by a woman of Argos, that offered me as an offering to her Gods; and I charge thee that thou leave not my sister, but be faithful to her.  And now farewell, true friend and companion in my toils; for indeed I die, and Phoebus hath lied unto me, prophesying falsely.”

And Pylades sware to him that he would build him a tomb, and be a true husband to his sister.  After this Iphigenia came forth, holding a tablet in her hand.  And she said, “Here is the tablet of which I spake.  But I fear lest he to whom I shall give it shall haply take no account of it when he is returned to the land Therefore I would fain bind him with an oath that he will deliver it to them that should have it in the city of Argos.”  And Orestes consented, saying that she also should bind herself with an oath that she would deliver one of the two from death.  So she sware by Artemis that she would persuade the King, and deliver Pylades from death.  And Pylades sware on his part by Zeus, the father of heaven, that he would give the tablet to those whom it should concern.  And having sworn it, he said, “But what if a storm overtake me, and the tablet be lost, and I only be saved?”

“I will tell thee what hath been written in the tablet; and if it perish, thou shalt tell them again; but if not, then thou shalt give it as I bid thee.”

“And to whom shall I give it?”

“Thou shalt give it to Orestes, son of Agamemnon.  And that which is written therein is this:  ’I that was sacrificed in aulis, even iphigenia, who am alive and yet dead to my own people, bid thee—­’”

[Illustration:  Offerings to the dead.]

But when Orestes heard this, he brake in, “Where is this Iphigenia?  Hath the dead come back among the living?”

“Thou seest her in me.  But interrupt me not ’I bid thee fetch me before I die to Argos from A strange land, taking me from the altar that is red with the blood of strangers, whereat I serve.’  And if Orestes ask by what means I am alive, thou shalt say that Artemis put a hind in my stead, and that the priest, thinking that he smote me with the knife, slew the beast, and that the goddess brought me to this land.”