And now there was seen to come near to the shrine an old man who had in days past been servant to King Erechtheus; and when the Queen saw him, she reached her hand to him, and helped him to climb the steps of the temple, for he was very feeble with age.  And when he was come to the top, the Queen turned her to the maidens that stood by and inquired of them whether they knew aught of the answer which the God had given to her husband in the matter of his childlessness.  But they were loath to make answer, remembering that the King had bidden them to be silent under pain of death; but at the last, for the thing pleased them not, both for pity of their mistress and also for hatred that a stranger should be King in Athens, they said, “O lady, thou must never hold a child in thy arms or nurse a babe at thy breast.”  And when the old man asked—­for the Queen was distraught with grief—­whether the King also shared this trouble, they said, “Not so, old man; to him Apollo giveth a son.”

“How so?” said he; “is this son yet to be born, or doth he live already?”

“He is a youth full grown.  For the God said, ’He whom thou shalt first meet, coming forth from this shrine, is thy son.’  And know, lady, that this youth is he who is wont to serve in this shrine, with whom thou talkedst at the first.  But more than this I know not; only that thy husband is gone without thy knowledge to hold a great feast, and that the lad sitteth thereat in much honour.”

And when the old man heard these things he waxed wroth and said, “Lady, there is treachery in this matter.  We are betrayed by thy husband, and of fixed purpose set at naught, that he may drive us out of the house of thy father, King Erechtheus.  And this I say not because I hate thy husband, but that I love thee more.  Hearken, then, to my words.  He came a stranger to the city of Athens, and took thee to wife, and had with thee the inheritance of thy father’s kingdom; and when he found thee childless, he was not content to bear this reproach with thee, but wedded secretly some slave woman, and gave the child whom she bare to him to some citizen of Delphi to rear for him.  And the child grew up, as thou knowest, a minister in the temple of Apollo.  And when thy husband knew that he was come to full age he devised this device that thou and he should come to this place, and make inquiry of the god, whether there might be any remedy for thy childlessness.  And now thou wilt suffer the foulest wrong, for he will bring this son of a bondwoman to be lord in thy house.  Wherefore I give thee this counsel.  Devise some device, and be it with the sword or with poison, or with whatever thou wilt, slay thy husband and his son, or they shall surely slay thee.  For if thou spare them thou wilt surely die.  For if there be two enemies under one roof, it must needs be that the one perish.  And now, if thou wilt, I will do this deed for thee, and slay them at the feast which he prepareth; for I have had sustenance in the house of thy father to this day, for which I would fain make this return.”