, wondering,
for the wide lawn was open, without bush or tree where the girl might be
lurking.

'Find me if you can,' cried the voice of Hesperia, close beside them,
and handfuls of flowers were lightly tossed to them, yet they saw none
who threw them. 'This place is surely enchanted,' thought Perseus, and
the voice of Hesperia answered:

'Come follow, follow me. I will run before you to the house, and show
you my secret.'

Then they all saw the flowers bending, and the grass waving, as if a
light-footed girl were running through it, and they followed to the
house the path in the trodden grass. At the door, Hesperia met them:
'You could not see me,' she said, 'nor will the Gorgons see Perseus.
Look, on that table lies the Helmet of Hades, which mortal men call the
Cap of Darkness. While I wore it you could not see me, nay, a deathless
god cannot see the wearer of that helmet.' She took up a dark cap of
hard leather, that lay on a table in the hall, and raised it to her
head, and when she had put it on, she was invisible. She took it off,
and placed it on the brows of Perseus. 'We cannot see you, Perseus,'
cried all the girls. 'Look at yourself in your shining shield: can you
see yourself?'

Perseus turned to the shield, which he had hung on a golden nail in the
wall. He saw only the polished bronze, and the faces of the girls who
were looking over his shoulder. He took off the Helmet of Hades and gave
a great sigh. 'Kind are the gods,' he said. 'Methinks that I shall
indeed keep my vow, and bring to Polydectes the Gorgon's head.'

They were merry that night, and Perseus told them his story, how he was
the son of Zeus, and the girls called him 'cousin Perseus.' 'We love you
very much, and we could make you immortal, without old age and death,'
said Hesperia. 'You might live with us here for ever--it is lonely,
sometimes, for three maidens in the garden of the gods. But you must
keep your vow, and punish your enemies, and cherish your mother, and do
not forget your cousins three, when you have married the lady of your
heart's desire, and are King of Argos.'

The tears stood in the eyes of Perseus. 'Cousins dear,' he said, 'never
shall I forget you, not even in the House of Hades. You will come
thither now and again, Hesperia? But I love no woman.'

'I think you will not long be without a lady and a love, Perseus,' said
Erytheia; 'but the night is late, and to-morrow you have much to do.'

So they parted, and nex