o miss renown, didst thou not hearken to Calchas the soothsayer,
and promise thy daughter for sacrifice, and send for her to the camp,
making pretence of giving her in marriage to Achilles? And now thou art
gone back from thy word. Surely this is an evil day for Greece, that is
troubled because thou wantest wisdom."

Then answered King Agamemnon, "What is thy quarrel with me? Why blamest
thou me if thou couldst not rule thy wife? And now to win back this
woman, because forsooth she is fair, thou castest aside both reason and
honour. And I, if I had an ill purpose, and now have changed it for that
which is wiser, dost thou charge me with folly? Let them that sware the
oath to Tyndareus go with thee on this errand. Why should I slay my
child, and work for myself sorrow and remorse without end that thou
mayest have vengeance for thy wicked wife?"

Then Menelaues turned away in a rage, crying, "Betray me if thou wilt. I
will betake myself to other counsels and other friends."

But even as he spake there came a messenger, saying, "King Agamemnon, I
am come, as thou badest me, with thy daughter Iphigenia. Also her
mother, Queen Clytaemnestra, is come, bringing with her her little son,
Orestes. And now they are resting themselves and their horses by the
side of a spring, for indeed the way is long and weary. And all the army
is gathered about them, to see them and greet them. And men question
much wherefore they are come, saying, 'Doth the King make a marriage for
his daughter; or hath he sent for her, desiring to see her?' But I know
thy purpose, my lord; wherefore we will dance and shout and make merry,
for this is a happy day for the maiden."

But the King Agamemnon was sore dismayed when he knew that the Queen was
come, and spake to himself. "Now what shall I say to my wife? For that
she is rightly come to the marriage of her daughter who can deny? But
what will she say when she knoweth my purpose? And of the maiden, what
shall I say? Unhappy maiden whose bridegroom shall be death! For she
will cry to me, 'Wilt thou kill me, my father?' And the little Orestes
will wail, not knowing what he doeth, seeing he is but a babe. Cursed be
Paris, who hath wrought this woe!"

And now King Menelaues came back, saying that it repented him of what he
had said, "For why should thy child die for me? What hath she to do
with Helen? Let the army be scattered, so that this wrong be not done."

Then said King Agamemnon, "But how shall I