man Mentor coming towards him. But by the grey, clear,
wonderfully-shining eyes he knew that the figure was none other than the
goddess Athene.

[Illustration]

'Telemachus,' said she, 'if you have indeed one drop of your father's
blood in you or one portion of his spirit, if you are as he was--one
ready to fulfil both word and work, your voyage shall not be in vain. If
you are different from what he was, I have no hope that you will
accomplish your desire. But I have seen in you something of the wisdom
and the courage of Odysseus. Hear my counsel then, and do as I direct
you. Go back to your father's house and be with the wooers for a time.
And get together corn and barley-flour and wine in jars. And while you
are doing all this I will gather together a crew for your ship. There
are many ships in sea-girt Ithaka and I shall choose the best for you
and we will rig her quickly and launch her on the wide deep.'

When Telemachus heard her counsel he tarried no more but went back to
the house and stood amongst the wooers, and when he had spoken with them
he went down into the treasure-vault. It was a spacious room filled with
gold and bronze and chests of raiment and casks of wine. The doors of
that vault were closed night and day and Eurycleia, the dame who had
been the nurse of Telemachus when he was little, guarded the place. She
came to him, and he spoke to her:

'My nurse,' said he, 'none but yourself must know what I would do now,
and you must swear not to speak of it to my lady-mother until twelve
days from this. Fill twelve jars with wine for me now, and pour twelve
measures of barley-meal into well-sewn skins. Leave them all together