The Ruinous Face | Page 5

to pass
that the only joy of her life was in the seeing King Menelaus in the
morning, and in the reading in his gaze the assurance of that peace
which she longed for. And, again, her pride lay in fitting herself for it
when it should come. Now, therefore, she forsook the religion of
Aphrodite, to whom all her duty had been before, and in a grove of
olive-trees in the garden of the house had built an altar to Artemis
Aristoboulé. There offered she incense daily, and paid tribute of
wheaten cakes kneaded with honey, and little figures of bears such as
virgins offer to the Pure in Heart in Athens. And she would have
whipped herself as they do in Sparta had she not feared discovery by
him who still had her. So every day after speech with Menelaus the
King about companionship and the sanctities of the wedded hearth, she
prayed to the Goddess, saying, "O Chaste and Fair, by that pure face of
thine and by thy untouched zone; by thy proud eyes and curving lip,
and thy bow and scornful bitter arrows, aid thou me unhappy. Lo, now,
Maid and Huntress, I make a vow. I will lay up in thy temple a fair
wreath of box-leaves made of beaten gold on that day when my lord
brings me home to my hearth and child, to be his friend and faithful
companion, sharer of his joys and sorrows, and when he loves my

proved and constant mind better than the bounty of my body. Hear me
and fail me not, Lady of Grace." So prayed Helen, and then went back
to the house, and suffered her lot, and cherished in her heart her high
hope.
* * * * *
When all was in order in the plans of the Achæans, King Menelaus told
everything to Helen his wife; and how Odysseus was to come disguised
into the city and seek speech with her. To the which she listened,
marking every word; and bowed her head in sign of agreement; and at
the end was silent, looking down at her lap and deeply blushing. And at
last she lifted her eyes and showed them to the King, her husband, who
marked them and her burning color, and knew that she had given him
her heart again. So he returned that day to his quarters, glorifying and
praising God. Immediately he went over to the tents of Odysseus, and
sought out the prince, and said, "Go in, thou, this night, and the
gray-eyed Goddess, the Maiden, befriend thee! This I know, Helen my
wife shall be mine again before the moon have waned."
[Illustration: HELEN OF TROY FROM THE PAINTING BY SIR
FREDERICK LEIGHTON]
Odysseus nodded his head. "Enough said, Son of Atreus," said he. "I go
in this night."
Now, in these days of weariness of strife, when the leaguer was not
strict, the gates of Troy were often opened, now this one, now that, to
let in fugitives from the hill-country. Odysseus, therefore, disguised
himself as one of these, in sheepskin coat and swathes of rushes round
his legs; and he stood with wounded feet, leaning upon a holly staff, as
one of a throng. White dust was upon his beard, and sweat had made
seams in the dust of his face and neck. Then, when they asked him at
the gate, "Whence and what art thou, friend?" he answered, "I am a
shepherd of the hills, named Glykon, whose store of sheep the
Achæans have reived, whose wife stolen away, whose little ones put to
the sword and fire. Me only have they left alive; and where should I
come if not here?" So they let him in, and he came and stood in the hall

of Paris with many other wretches. Then presently came Helen of the
starry eyes and sweet pale face, she and her women to minister. And
she knelt down with ewer and basin and a napkin to wash the feet of the
poor. To whom, as she knelt at the feet of Odysseus, and rinsed his
wounds and wiped away the dry blood, spake that crafty one in her ear,
saying: "There are other wounds than mine for thy washing, lady, and
deeper. For they are in the heart of King Menelaus, and in thy
daughter's heart."
She kept her face hidden from him, bending to his feet; but he saw that
she trembled and moved her shoulders. So then he said again, "I know
that thou art pitiful. I know that thou wilt wash his wounds."
She answered him, whispering, "Yes; oh, yes."
He said, "Let me have speech with thee, lady, when may be."
And she, "It shall be when my lord sleepeth toward morning. Watch
thou