acquitted; but not all the Furies left him, and at last he besought the
Oracle of Apollo to befriend him.

"Go to Tauris, in Scythia," said the voice, "and bring from thence the
image of Diana which fell from the heavens." So he set out with his
Pylades and sailed to the shore of Scythia.

Now the Taurians were a savage people, who strove to honor Diana, to
their rude minds, by sacrificing all the strangers that fell into their
hands. There was a temple not far from the seaside, and its priestess
was a Grecian maiden, one Iphigenia, who had miraculously appeared
there years before, and was held in especial awe by Thoas, the king of
the country round about. Sorely against her will, she had to hallow the
victims offered at this shrine; and into her presence Orestes and
Pylades were brought by the men who had seized them.

On learning that they were Grecians and Argives (for they withheld
their names), the priestess was moved to the heart. She asked them many
questions concerning the fate of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, and the
warriors against Troy, which they answered as best they could. At
length she said that she would help one of them to escape, if he would
swear to take a message from her to one in Argos.

"My friend shall bear it home," said Orestes. "As for me, I stay and
endure my fate."

"Nay," said Pylades; "how can I swear? for I might lose this letter by
shipwreck or some other mischance."

"Hear the message, then," said the high-priestess. "And thou wilt keep