ar away into the unknown seas, where fairies lived in enchanted
islands, and cannibals dwelt in caves of the hills.

Paris came much too late to have a chance of marrying Helen; however, he
was determined to see her, and he made his way to her palace beneath
the mountain Taygetus, beside the clear swift river Eurotas. The
servants came out of the hall when they heard the sound of wheels and
horses' feet, and some of them took the horses to the stables, and
tilted the chariots against the gateway, while others led Paris into the
hall, which shone like the sun with gold and silver. Then Paris and his
companions were led to the baths, where they were bathed, and clad in
new clothes, mantles of white, and robes of purple, and next they were
brought before King Menelaus, and he welcomed them kindly, and meat was
set before them, and wine in cups of gold. While they were talking,
Helen came forth from her fragrant chamber, like a Goddess, her maidens
following her, and carrying for her an ivory distaff with
violet-coloured wool, which she span as she sat, and heard Paris tell
how far he had travelled to see her who was so famous for her beauty
even in countries far away.

Then Paris knew that he had never seen, and never could see, a lady so
lovely and gracious as Helen as she sat and span, while the red drops
fell and vanished from the ruby called the Star; and Helen knew that
among all the princes in the world there was none so beautiful as Paris.
Now some say that Paris, by art magic, put on the appearance of
Menelaus, and asked Helen to come sailing with him, and that she,
thinking he was her husband, followed him, and he carried her across the
wide waters of Troy, away from her lord and her one beautiful little
daughter, the child Hermione. And others say that the Gods carried Helen
herself off to Egypt, and that they made in her likeness a beautiful
ghost, out of flowers and sunset clouds, whom Paris bore to Troy, and
this they did to cause war between Greeks and Trojans. Another story is
that Helen and her bower maiden and her jewels were seized by force,
when Menelaus was out hunting. It is only certain that Paris and Helen
did cross the seas together, and that Menelaus and little Hermione were
left alone in the melancholy palace beside the Eurotas. Penelope, we
know for certain, made no excuses for her beautiful cousin, but hated
her as the cause of her own sorrows and of the deaths of thousands of
men in war, for a