“Menelaus,” said Helen, “you were wise to say that Hermione needs time to realise what all this means. Give her time. You don’t need to tell her to think it over. She will be able to think of nothing else. In a few days we can all talk more sanely. Nothing matters very much after what has occurred. Nothing new could seem very bad, not even her marriage to Orestes. But Orestes himself must make fresh plans for his life, and we can wait till we see him or hear from him.”

“Till we hear from him,” said Menelaus. “He can’t come to this house.”

“He probably won’t come now, anyway,” said Eteoneus. “I remember they say he is going on a religious journey, a pilgrimage to a shrine somewhere, to see if he can rest his mind. The change will probably do him good, and he won’t be back for some time. One way and another, your relatives do a lot of travelling, Menelaus.”

“That’s in the past now,” said Menelaus. “It’s time to settle down, and my immediate family are home to stay, I believe. Hermione may think this over as long as she likes, Helen, but I shall now proceed on an entirely new plan. I’m going to find out if Pyrrhus will marry her. You were right in the first place. If he will have her, we’ll let Orestes go on his pilgrimage, and it will be a long one. If I criticised Pyrrhus, at least it was for faults I could understand. He’s overrated, but he’s a real man, and he can give Hermione the kind of home she ought to have. It is providential that he got started quickly on this visit.”

“Oh, Menelaus, you’re quite wrong to force the question again!” said Helen. “Let the whole problem rest a while. Hermione doesn’t need to marry, if she prefers to stay with us, and certainly she must not marry a man she doesn’t love.”

“Now see here, Helen, you make me very angry! You stirred up this whole quarrel about Pyrrhus—if it hadn’t been for you we never should have thought of him again. You’ve been persuading me with all sorts of insidious arguments, and these recent events have completed my conversion. Why do you get on the other side now? Hermione may think it over. When Pyrrhus comes, I’ll speak to him. Perhaps he won’t have anything to do with us, but if he’ll consider the proposal, we’ll go on from there.”

“I’m sorry my future has given you so much trouble,” said Hermione, “and I wish you wouldn’t put yourself to this unnecessary bother with Pyrrhus. But I’m not in a position to say anything, and you know best what you want to do. If I have your permission, I’ll go now.”