urple, 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 all the
Greek princes were bound by their oath to fight for Menelaus against any
one who injured him and stole his wife away. But Helen was very unhappy
in Troy, and blamed herself as bitterly as all the other women blamed
her, and most of all OEnone, who had been the love of Paris. The men
were much more kind to Helen, and were determined to fight to the death
rather than lose the sight of her beauty among them.

The news of the dishonour done to Menelaus and to all the princes of
Greece ran through the country like fire through a forest. East and west
and south and north went the news: to kings in their castles on the
hills, and beside the rivers and on cliffs above the sea. The cry came
to ancient Nest