ride of Troezen; and AEgeus was never so happy as when
in her presence. So it happened that some time after the ship had
sailed, there was a wedding in the halls of King Pittheus; but it was
kept a secret, for AEgeus feared that his nephews, if they heard of it,
would be very angry and would send men to Troezen to do him harm.

Month after month passed by, and still AEgeus lingered with his bride and
trusted his elders to see to the affairs of Athens. Then one morning,
when the gardens of Troezen were full of roses and the heather was green
on the hills, a babe was born to AEthra--a boy with a fair face and
strong arms and eyes as sharp and as bright as the mountain eagle's. And
now AEgeus was more loth to return home than he had been before, and he
went up on the mountain which overlooks Troezen, and prayed to Athena,
the queen of the air, to give him wisdom and show him what to do. Even
while he prayed there came a ship into the harbor, bringing a letter to
AEgeus and alarming news from Athens.

"Come home without delay"--these were words of the letter which the
elders had sent--"come home quickly, or Athens will be lost. A great
king from beyond the sea, Minos of Crete, is on the way with ships and a
host of fighting men; and he declares that he will carry sword and fire
within our walls, and will slay our young men and make our children his
slaves. Come and save us!"

"It is the call of duty," said AEgeus; and with a heavy heart he made
ready to go at once across the sea to the help of his people. But he
could not take AEthra and her babe, for fear of his lawless nephews, who
would have slain them both.

"Best of wives," he said, when the hour for parting had come, "listen to
me, for I shall never see your father's halls, nor dear old Troezen, nor
perhaps your own fair face, again. Do you remember the old plane tree
which stands on the mountain side, and the great flat stone which lies a
little way beyond it, and which no man but myself has ever been able to
lift? Under that stone, I have hidden my sword and the sandals which I
brought from Athens. There they shall lie until our child is strong
enough to lift the stone and take them for his own. Care for him, AEthra,
until that time; and then, and not till then, you may tell him of his
father, and bid him seek me in Athens."

Then AEgeus kissed his wife and the babe, and went on board the ship; the
sailors shouted; the oars were dipped into the waves; the white