“She is back, isn’t she?” said Hermione. “She never was away. I dare say they’ll quarrel, but I repeat, Clytemnestra has some things on her side, and I reserve my judgment till I know much more than at present I do.”

“Has she something on her side? I didn’t know that! Has Agamemnon been—? Well, it’s not to be wondered at; men always are. Do tell me, Hermione! I’ve missed it entirely—I don’t see how.”

“It’s perfectly simple,” said Hermione, “if you know them both. Agamemnon is high-handed, and Clytemnestra is high-spirited. What more do you need for a quarrel? Orestes says his mother resented a little all the excitement over my mother. You might guess she was jealous, but Orestes says not; he says his mother merely thought the expedition to Troy was—well, out of proportion. Then there was Iphigeneia. Haven’t you heard about that? It was long ago, when they were trying to get the boats off. My uncle was at Aulis, and he sent for Iphigeneia to come and marry Achilles. My aunt was naturally delighted with the match, and was packing up to go on with her daughter, when Agamemnon sent word he wanted only the daughter—her mother mustn’t come. That was rather intolerable, don’t you think? Clytemnestra wanted her daughter to be well married, but she counted on being asked to the wedding. You wouldn’t believe how brutal Agamemnon was about it—said that if Clytemnestra appeared, there would be no marriage, and she mustn’t ask questions, but he would explain after he got home. Rather than spoil Iphigeneia’s chance, Clytemnestra sent her on to Aulis alone—and there was no marriage, after all. Clytemnestra thought that such a betrayal ended her obligations to Agamemnon. I’m not prepared to say she was wrong.”

“I don’t see why, because the wedding fell through, she should break up the home,” said Charitas. “If I went off with another man every time my husband failed to do what he promised, I’d—well, I’d not be what I am. Iphigeneia could have found another husband.”

“No, she couldn’t,” said Hermione. “They did a dreadful thing—they offered her as a sacrifice for a favourable wind.”

“Hermione! How awful! And I suppose it wasn’t favourable, after all.”

“Yes, it was,” said Hermione. “That’s when they sailed for Troy. But perhaps they didn’t really kill her. I used to believe they did, but no one admits it now, and there’s another story, more recent, about her being still alive, in some obscure place. Why she should be there and not at home, I can’t guess. But whatever happened to her, I hope my uncle has explained it satisfactorily by this time, and I do hope he’ll see that his failure to explain earlier justified Clytemnestra in abandoning her home ties. Orestes says—”