me with like softness,
that I might no longer waste away in mourning for the excellence of my
dear, dear lord!"

Thereupon she arose, and descending the stairs stood in the open
doorway of the hall, with a handmaid on either side. A murmur of
surprise and admiration went round the whole company, for never had
she seemed so wondrous fair. Turning to Telemachus she said: "My son,
with grief I perceive that thy understanding increaseth not with thy
growth, but rather becometh less. Who would think, seeing thee thus
tall and comely, like a prince's true son, that thou wouldst suffer
such deeds to be wrought upon the stranger within thy gates? What if
he had come by his death through this violence? What shame and infamy
to thee!"

"Mother," answered Telemachus, "thou hast some reason for thine anger.
Howbeit, I have a man's wit, and am not, as thou sayest, more foolish
than a child. But what can one do against so many? And as to this
stranger, thou wouldst know that thy fears are idle, if thou couldst
see Irus as he now sits at the gate, rolling his head like a drunkard,
with no strength to stand on his feet or stir from his place. Would
that all the wooers were in the same plight!"

While Telemachus was defending himself, Eurymachus had been gazing
with bold eyes on that fair lady; and now he addressed her with smooth
words of flattery: "Daughter of Icarius, sage Penelope, if all the
Greeks could behold thee as now thou art, this house would not contain
the multitude of thy wooers. Thou surpassest all the daughters of men
in beauty, and in stature, and in thy even-balanced wit"

"Eurymachus," answered Penelope, "all the bloom of my womanhood was
blighted on the evil day when the Greeks embarked for Troy, and
Odysseus, my lord, went with them. But now I am like some poor hunted
creature, hard beset by the hounds of fate. Well I remember my
husband's parting words. Holding my right hand he said: 'Dear wife, I
am going into the midst of perils, and it may be that we shall never
see each other again. Be thou but faithful to thy trust, and remember
whose daughter thou art; and when thou seest thy son with a beard on
his cheeks, thou art free to marry whom thou wilt.' Such were his
words, and now they shall shortly be fulfilled. I see the day
approaching which shall make me another man's wife; better for me if I
were the bride of death! For who ever beheld such wooing as yours?
'Twas ever the custom among those who sought th