PYL.  Surely thou art wide astray from my purposes.  Nor may the fruitful plain receive my blood, nor the bright air, if ever I betraying thee, having freed myself, forsake thee; for I committed the slaughter with thee (I will not deny it), and I planned all things, for which now thou sufferest vengeance.  Die then I must with thee and her together, for her, whose marriage I have courted, I consider as my wife; for what good excuse ever shall I give, going to the Delphian land to the citadel of the Phocians, I, who was present with you, your friend, before indeed you were unfortunate, but now, when you are unfortunate, am no longer thy friend?  It is not possible—­but these things are my care also.  But since we are about to die, let us come to a common conference, how Menelaus may be involved in our calamity.

ORES.  O thou dearest man:  for would I see this and die.

PYL.  Be persuaded then, but defer the slaughtering sword.

ORES.  I will defer, if any how I can avenge myself on my enemy.

PYL.  Be silent then, for I have but small confidence in women.

ORES.  Do not at all fear these, for they are friends that are present.

PYL.  Let us kill Helen, which will cause great grief to Menelaus.

ORES.  How? for the will is here, if it can be done with glory.

PYL.  Stabbing her; but she is lurking in thy house.

ORES.  Yes indeed, and is putting her seal on all my effects.

PYL.  But she shall seal no more, having Pluto for her bridegroom.

ORES.  And how can this be? for she has a train of barbarian attendants.

PYL.  Whom? for I would be afraid of no Phrygian.

ORES.  Such men as should preside over mirrors and scents.

PYL.  For has she brought hither her Trojan fineries?

ORES. Oh yes! so that Greece is but a cottage for her.

PYL.  A race of slaves is a mere nothing against a race that will not be slaves.

ORES.  In good truth, this if I could achieve, I shrink not from two deaths.

PYL.  But neither do I indeed, if I could revenge thee at least.

ORES.  Disclose thy purpose, and go through it as thou sayest.

PYL.  We will enter then the house, as men about to die.

ORES.  Thus far I comprehend, but the rest I do not comprehend.

PYL.  We will make our lamentation to her of the things we suffer.

ORES.  So that she shall weep, though joyed within her heart.

PYL.  And the same things will be for us to do afterward, which she does then.

ORES.  Then how shall we finish the contest?

PYL.  We will wear our swords concealed beneath our robes.

ORES.  But what slaughter can there be before her attendants?

PYL.  We will bolt them out, scattered in different parts of the house.

ORES.  And him that is not silent we must kill.