and sought out
Eutyches, a slave of the door, who loved her. Of him by gentle words and
her slow sweet smile she besought arms: a sword, breastplate, shield and
helmet. And when he gave them her, unable to deny her anything, she hid
them under the hangings of the bed.

* * * * *

That night Paris came to her where she lay bathed and anointed, and
sought her in love; and she denied him nothing. Him thought such joy had
never been his since first he held her in his arms in Cranae. Deeply and
long he loved; and in the middle of the night a great horn blew afar
off, and there came the sound of men in the streets, running. That was
the horn which they kept in the temple of Showery Zeus, to summon all
Troy when needs were. Paris, at the sound thereof, lifted up his head
from Helen's fair breast, listening. And again the great horn blew a
long blast, and he said, "O bride, I must leave thee. Behold, they call
from the temple of the God." But she took his face in her two hands and
turned it about to look at her; and he saw love in her eyes and the dew
of it upon her mouth, and kissed her, and stayed. So by and by the horn
blew a third time, and there arose a great shout; and he started away
from her, and stepped down from the bed, and stood beside it,
unresolved. Then Helen put her arms about his body and urged herself
toward him till her face touched his flank. And she clung to him, and
looked up at him, and he stayed.

[Illustration: PARIS AND HELEN
FROM THE PAINTING BY JACQUES LOUIS DAVID IN THE LOUVRE]

Now did rumor break out all at once, about the house and in the city
afar off. Men cried, "The fire, the fire!" and "Save yourselves!" and
"Oh, the Achaeans!" and Paris tore himself away, and made haste to arm
himself by the light of the fire in the city, which made the room as
bright as day. And he put on all his harness, and took his sword and
buckler, and ran out of the chamber and down the stairs, crying, "Arm
ye, arm ye, and follow me!" Then Helen arose and swiftly withdrew the
arms from below the bed, and called Eutyches to her from the gallery,
and made him fasten the breastplate about her, and gird the thongs of
the shield to her white arm, and fix the helmet of bronze upon her head.
So he did, and trembled as he touched her; for he loved her out of
measure and without hope. Then said she to Eutyches, "Arm thyself and
follow me." And together, armed, they went down the stair.

The