“Well, that kind of thing has been done,” said Eteoneus. “Of course it is embarrassing to discuss the theory specifically with your mother here. I’m far from plotting to kill her now, though I’m still perturbed whenever I see her—it’s like living with a dead person.”

“See here, Eteoneus—you wouldn’t have Orestes or my father kill Clytemnestra?”

“Certainly not Orestes; that would be impious, to kill his own mother. If it were his wife, that would be another thing. Agamemnon ought to have killed her. That was his mistake. She was faithless.”

“How about the men who are faithless?” said Hermione. “You confess to having led what I should call a bad and a cruel life, and you never reformed; you simply became too old to misbehave. Why wouldn’t it have been proper for some woman whom you had deserted to kill you? This faithfulness shouldn’t be all on one side.”

“That was Clytemnestra’s idea,” said Eteoneus. “That woman is strangely modern, considering her age.”

“Age!” said Hermione. “You are tottering into the grave, Eteoneus, with the beastliest set of ideas I’ve ever heard. If you are like Pyrrhus, my worst fears of him are confirmed. I’m glad I belong to another generation!”

V

V

“I’ve come to see Helen,” said Charitas.

“She’s not at home,” said Eteoneus. “Is there a message you’d like to leave for her?”

“Not at home!” said Charitas. “Is she ever at home? I wanted to see her personally. Are you sure she’s out? She hasn’t been in once when I’ve called. I must say it looks rather pointed.”

“She’s certainly not at home now. She’ll be sorry to have missed you.”

“I’d like to be sure she will,” said Charitas. “Your mistress doesn’t treat her old friends at all well.”

“She’ll be sorry to hear you think so,” said Eteoneus. “I’ll give her your message as soon as she comes in.”

“Do nothing of the kind! I have the highest regard for her, or I should not be here. But I don’t like to feel I wasted my time in coming over. The news about poor Agamemnon just reached us, and I wanted to show her there was no change in my attitude, no matter what happened in her family. At such a time she ought to be at home, one would think. I suppose she has got a sort of habit of being away.”

“It’s too bad you had the walk for nothing,” said Eteoneus. “She’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness. Lately she has been much occupied.”

“Who wouldn’t be, with such terrible things happening, one right after the other! I suppose the family sides with Agamemnon?”

“Well, Agamemnon’s dead,” said Eteoneus. “I don’t know what you mean by siding with him.”

“Why, he and Clytemnestra quarrelled, didn’t they?”