or myself sorrow and remorse without
end that thou mayest have vengeance for thy wicked wife?"

Then Menelaues turned away in a rage, crying, "Betray me if thou wilt.
I will betake myself to other counsels and other friends."

But even as he spake there came a messenger, saying, "King Agamemnon,
I am come, as thou badest me, with thy daughter Iphigenia. Also her
mother, Queen Clytaemnestra, is come, bringing with her her little son
Orestes. And now they are resting themselves and their horses by the
side of a spring, for indeed the way is long and weary. And all the
army is gathered about them to see them and greet them. And men
question much wherefore they are come, saying. 'Doth the king make a
marriage for his daughter; or hath he sent for her, desiring to see
her?' But I know thy purpose, my lord; wherefore we will dance and
shout and make merry, for this is a happy day for the maiden."

But the King Agamemnon was sore dismayed when he knew that the queen
was come, and spake to himself, "Now what shall I say to my wife? For
that she is rightly come to the marriage of her daughter, who can
deny? But what will she say when she knoweth my purpose? And of the
maiden, what shall I say? Unhappy maiden whose bridegroom shall be
death! For she will cry to me, 'Wilt thou kill me, my father?' And the
little Orestes will wail, not knowing what he doeth, seeing he is but
a babe. Cursed be Paris, who hath wrought this woe!"

And now King Menelaues came back, saying that it repented him of what
he had said, "For why should thy child die for me? What hath she to do
with Helen? Let the army be scattered, so that this wrong be not
done."

Then said King Agamemnon, "But how shall I escape from this strait?
For the whole host will compel me to this deed?"

"Not so," said King Menelaues, "if thou wilt send back the maiden to
Argos."

"But what shall that profit," said the king; "for Calchas will cause
the matter to be known, or Ulysses, saying that I have failed of my
promise; and if I fly to Argos, they will come and destroy my city and
lay waste my land. Woe is me! in what a strait am I set! But take thou
care, my brother, that Clytaemnestra hear nothing of these things."

And when he had ended speaking, the queen herself came unto the tent,
riding in a chariot, having her daughter by her side. And she bade one
of the attendants take out with care the caskets which she had brought
for her daughter, and bade others help her d