will this profit her that is dead?"

"I know not, yet had I sooner die than be false to her."

"Yet I would have thee take this woman into thy house."

"Ask it not of me, I entreat thee, by thy father Zeus."

"Thou wilt lose much if thou wilt not do it."

"And if I do it I shall break my heart."

"Haply some day thou wilt thank me; only be persuaded."

"Be it so: they shall take the woman into the house."

"I would not have thee entrust her to thy servants."

"If thou so thinkest, lead her in thyself."

"Nay, but I would give her into thy hands."

"I touch her not, but my house she may enter."

"'Tis only to thy hand I entrust her."

"O King, thou compellest me to this against my will."

"Stretch forth thy hand and touch her."

"I touch her as I would touch the Gorgon's head."

"Hast thou hold of her?"

"I have hold."

"Then keep her safe, and say that the son of Zeus is a noble friend. See
if she be like thy wife; and change thy sorrow for joy."

And when the King looked, lo! the veiled woman was Alcestis his wife.

THE STORY OF THE VENGEANCE OF MEDEA.

Jason, being of right the prince of Iolcos in the land of Thessaly, came
back to his kingdom. But Pelias, who had now for many years taken it for
himself, spake him fair, and persuaded him that he should go on some
adventure, and find glory and renown for himself, and so return; and he
sware that afterwards he would peaceably give up the kingdom. Now in the
land of Colchis, which lieth to the east of the sea which men call the
Hospitable Sea, there was kept a great treasure, even the fleece of a
great ram, which had been sacrificed there in time past. A marvellous
beast was this ram, for it had flown through the air to Colchis from the
land of Greece; and its fleece was of pure gold. So Jason gathered
together many valiant men, sons of gods and heroes, such as were
Hercules the son of Zeus, and Castor and Pollux, the twin brethren, and
Calais and Zethus, that were sons to the North Wind, and Orpheus, that
was the sweetest singer of all the dwellers upon earth. And they built
for themselves a ship, and called its name the Argo, and so set sail,
that they might bring back the fleece of gold to the land of Greece, to
which, indeed, it rightfully belonged. Now when Jason and his fellows
were come to Colchis, they asked the fleece of the king of the country.
And he said that he would give it to them; only Jason must first yoke
certain bulls