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Chapters (39)
  1. Cover
  2. The Private Life of Helen of Troy
  3. Contents
  4. NOTE
  5. PART I
  6. I
  7. II
  8. III
  9. IV
  10. V
  11. VI
  12. VII
  13. PART II
  14. I
  15. II
  16. III
  17. IV
  18. V
  19. VI
  20. PART III
  21. I
  22. II
  23. III
  24. IV
  25. V
  26. PART IV
  27. I
  28. II
  29. III
  30. IV
  31. V
  32. PART V
  33. I
  34. II
  35. III
  36. IV
  37. V
  38. VI
  39. VII

“I respect your elders, too,” said Hermione, “but you are breaking faith with me, just because Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon. Mother has won you over, without your knowing it. She and her family would spoil my life, if I let them.”

“Hermione,” said Helen, “that’s not the way to speak to your father. He’s quite right—you should be respectful toward your parents. The question isn’t whether they deserve the courtesy—nobody made you a judge of that; the question is whether your own nature is fine enough to prefer courteous expression … And I’d like to remind you that you have my full permission to marry Orestes. I pleaded with you merely to see Pyrrhus; even about that I grew lukewarm. Marry Orestes when you like, so far as I’m concerned; it’s for you and your father to work out.”

“The only way I’ll work it out,” said Menelaus, “is to postpone the whole matter. I’ll go now and do what I can to help the boy; after that we’ll see.”

“You may wait, as you say,” said Hermione, “but it’s only frank of me to repeat that I’ve nothing to gain by waiting. I’ve made up my mind, and I feel I belong to Orestes all the more because of the trouble he’s in.”

“Oh, Hermione, can’t you have some sense?” said Helen. “Your father will help Orestes now, and afterwards, just because of that help, the wedding will follow quite naturally. If you only wait, you’ll see.”

“She won’t see anything of the kind!” said Menelaus—“not necessarily. The relations are distinct. If I thought they weren’t, I’d let Orestes handle the whole thing himself! He’d better not think I’m committed to him for life, as Hermione says she is, just because I join him now to avenge my brother’s murder!”

IV

IV

“You don’t think he will?” said Hermione.

“I’m sure he won’t,” said Eteoneus.

“I don’t like to think my father a coward,” said Hermione, “but it will be difficult to explain his staying at home now. It’s not only his nephew who needs him; the murdered man is his own brother, and decency requires him to see justice done.”

“He’s no coward, not in the ordinary sense,” said Eteoneus. “Your mother dissuaded him. You heard her do it. When she began urging him to go and help Orestes, so that he could arrange the sooner for your wedding, and when she reminded him that he’d have to arrange the wedding details with Clytemnestra, I knew there’d be no helping Orestes, and no wedding. I’m not one of your mother’s devoted worshippers—first and last I’m your father’s man—but you have to admit she’s clever.”