re was a great press of men fighting about the doors of Paris' house,
and loud rumor. But beyond in the city the Achaeans in a multitude
carried fire and sword from house to house. And there was the noise of
women crying mercy, and calling their children's names. And the flames
leaped roaring to Heaven; and the Gods turned away their faces; and Troy
was down.

* * * * *

Now Paris, fighting, came backwards into the hall where Helen was; and
Menelaus came fiercely after him, and in the doorway drove a spear at
him that went through the leather of his shield, through all the folds
of it and ran deep into the flesh of his throat where it fastens to the
shoulder. Then Paris groaned and bent his knees, and fell, calling Helen
by her name. Then came she in her bright harness, with a burning face,
and stood over the body of Paris, and held out her arms to the King,
saying, "Husband, lord, behold, here am I, by your side!" Eutyches came
after her, armed also.

Then Menelaus, with the bloody spear in his hand newly plucked from the
neck of Paris, gazed at his wife, not knowing her. So presently he said,
weak-voiced, "What is this, O loveliest in the world?" But he knew
Eutyches again, who had been with him and her in Sparta, and said to
him, "Disarm her, but with care, lest the bronze bruise her fair flesh."
So Eutyches, trembling, disarmed her, that she stood a lovely woman
before the King. And Menelaus, with a shout, took her in his arms and
cried out above the fire and dust and shrieking in the street, "Come,
come, my treasure and desire! Love me now or I die!"

But she clung to him, imploring. "Not here," she said, "not here,
Menelaus. Take me hence; let me fare by thy side this night."

But he pressed her the closer, saying, "Come, thou must love me now,"
and lifted her in his arms and ran up the stair and through the gallery
of the house to the great chamber where of late she had lain. And he
called her women to disrobe her; and Helen fell to crying bitterly, and
said, "Oh, I am a slave, I am a slave: I am bought and sold and handed
about." And she could not be comforted or stayed from weeping. But
nothing recked King Menelaus for that.

* * * * *

When the walls of wide-wayed Troy were cast down, and of the towers and
houses of the chiefs nothing stood but staring walls and rafters charred
by fire; and when the temples of the Dardan Gods had been sacked,