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 Menelaüs 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 Menelaüs, "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 Clytæmnestra hear nothing of these things."

And when he had ended speaking, the Queen herself came unto the tent,