I was thy “sister,” ever, too, by name.

But now all this has vanished in a day,

Even with thy death. For thou hast gathered all

Together, like a whirlwind, and art gone;

My father is no more; I too am dead

In thee; thyself art dead, and gone from me;

And our foes laugh; and that disnatured mother,

Of whom thou hast often sent word privily

Thou would’st thyself appear to punish her,

Raves with delight! This the ill Destiny

Of thee and me wrested away; who sent thee

On to me thus — not the dear form I loved,

But embers, and an unavailing shade.

—Woe’s me! O piteous sight! Alas, alas,

A terrible journey hast thou gone, my dear;

Woe’s me! and without thee I am undone;

I am undone without thee, O my brother!

Receive me then into this house of thine,

Nought unto nought, to dwell with thee below

For evermore. For when thou wast on earth,

All that I had on earth I shared with thee;

And — for I see no grieving in the dead —

I would die now, so I might share thy tomb.

I LADY.

Your sire, Electra, was a mortal man;

So was Orestes; wherefore do not grieve

Beyond all bounds; we all owe Heaven a death.

ORESTES.

O Heaven’s, what shall I say? whither shall I turn

For lack of words? for I have lost the power

Of speech!

ELECTRA.

What ails you? Wherefore do you say it?

ORESTES.

IS this the illustrious Electra —you?

ELECTRA.

That is it, and in case right miserable.

ORESTES.

Alack therefore, for this thy wretched lot!

ELECTRA.

Sir, you are not lamenting thus for me?

ORESTES.

O beauty foully — impiously destroyed!

ELECTRA.

The wretch you speak of is no other, sir,

Than I.

ORESTES.

Alas for thy estate, unwed,

Unfortunate!

ELECTRA.

Why do you groan, sir, thus,

Gazing on me!

ORESTES.

HOW did I nothing know

Of my own woes!

ELECTRA.

By what, that has been said,

Did you discover that?

ORESTES.

By seeing you,

Preëminent in multitude of griefs.

ELECTRA.

And yet you see but little of my woes.

ORESTES.

HOW could there be worse things than these to see?

ELECTRA.

That I am sorted with the murderers.

ORESTES.

Whose murderers? Whence is this hint of crime?

ELECTRA.

My father’s. Next, I am perforce their slave.

ORESTES.

Who is it bends you to this exigence?

ELECTRA.

My mother — in name — but nothing mother-like.

ORESTES.

And how? by force, or wearing injury?

ELECTRA.

By force, by wearing, and all ills that be.

ORESTES.

And was none by to help or hinder it?

ELECTRA.

NO; him I had you have brought here in ashes.

ORESTES.

Ill-fated one, how has the sight of you

Moved my compassion!

ELECTRA.

Know, you are the first

Who ever had compassion upon me.

ORESTES.

Because I am the first to come, who feel

With your misfortunes.

ELECTRA.

It can never be

You are some kinsman, who have come —whence could you?