mother came to meet him.

His hand she took in hers, and gently spoke she to him.

"Art thou wearied that thou hast left the battle, Hector, my son?" she
said. "Let me bring thee wine that thou may'st be refreshed and yet
gain strength."

"Bring me no wine, dear mother," said Hector, "lest it take from me
the strength and courage that I have. Rather go thou to the temple of
Athene and offer her sacrifices, beseeching that she will have mercy
on Troy and on the wives of the Trojans and their little children. So
may she hold back Diomedes the destroyer. I go to Paris--would that he
were dead!"

And the mother of Hector straightway, with other old women, the
mothers of heroes, offered sacrifices and prayers to Athene. But
Athene paid no heed.

To the palace of Paris, his mighty bronze spear in his hand, then
strode Hector.

Paris, the golden-haired, sat in a room with Helen, idly handling his
shining shield and breastplate and curved bow.

In bitter scorn spoke Hector to his brother.

"Our people die in battle for thy sake!" he cried, "while here thou
sittest idle. Up then, ere the enemies that thou hast made for us burn
our city to the ground!"

And Paris answered:

"Justly dost thou chide me, Hector. Even now hath Helen urged me to
play the man and go back to battle. Only let me put on my armor, and
soon will I overtake thee."

Never a word did Hector answer him.

But to Hector did Helen then speak:

"Brother Hector," she said, "unworthy am I to be sister of thine.
Would that I had died on the day I was born, or would that the gods
who have brought me this evil had given me for a husband one who was
shamed by reproach and who feared dishonor. Rest thee here, my
brother, who hast suffered so much for the sake of wretched me and for
the sin of Paris. Well I know that for us cometh punishment of which
men will sing in the far-off years that are yet to come."

"Of thy love, ask me not to stay, Helen," answered Hector. "For to
help the men of Troy is my whole heart set, and they are now in want
of me. But rouse this fellow, and make him hasten after me. I go now
to see my dear wife and my babe, for I know not whether I shall return
to them again."

In his own house Hector found not his fair wife Andromache, nor their
little babe.

"Whither went thy mistress?" he asked in eagerness of the
serving-women.

"Truly, my lord," answered one, "tidings came to us that the Trojans
were sorely pressed and that