not; and the goddess led the way.

Now when they were come to the beautiful house of Alexandros the
handmaidens turned straightway to their tasks, and the fair lady went to
the high-roofed chamber; and laughter-loving Aphrodite took for her a
chair and brought it, even she the goddess, and set it before the face
of Paris. There Helen took her seat, the child of aegis-bearing Zeus,
and with eyes turned askance spake and chode her lord: "Thou comest back
from battle; would thou hadst perished there, vanquished of that great
warrior that was my former husband. Verily it was once thy boast that
thou wast a better man than Menelaos dear to Ares, in the might of thine
arm and thy spear. But go now, challenge Menelaos, dear to Ares to fight
thee again face to face. Nay, but I, even I, bid thee refrain, nor fight
a fight with golden-haired Menelaos man to man, neither attack him
recklessly, lest perchance thou fall to his spear anon."

And Paris made answer to her and said: "Chide not my soul, lady, with
cruel taunts. For now indeed hath Menelaos vanquished me with Athene's
aid, but another day may I do so unto him; for we too have gods with us.
But come now, let us have joy of love upon our couch; for never yet hath
love so enwrapped my heart--not even then when first I snatched thee
from lovely Lakedaimon and sailed with thee on my sea-faring ships, and
in the isle of Kranae had converse with thee upon thy couch in love--as
I love thee now and sweet desire taketh hold upon me." So saying he led
the way to the couch, and the lady followed with him.

Thus laid they them upon their fretted couch; but Atreides the while
strode through the host like to a wild beast, if anywhere he might set
eyes on godlike Alexandros. But none of the Trojans or their famed
allies could discover Alexandros to Menelaos dear to Ares. Yet surely