第 24 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2022-07-12 16:21      字数:4751
  wife。    She was obliged to obey; and she called Menelaus in her own voice;
  and   Diomede   in   the   voice   of   his   wife;  and   Ulysses   in   the   very  voice   of
  Penelope。       Then     Menelaus      and   Diomede      were    eager    to  answer;    but
  Ulysses grasped their hands and whispered the word 〃Echo!〃                       Then they
  remembered that this was a name of Helen; because she could speak in all
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  voices;   and   they   were   silent;   but Anticlus   was   still   eager   to   answer;   till
  Ulysses   held   his   strong   hand   over   his   mouth。      There   was   only   silence;
  and Deiphobus led Helen back to his house。                   When they had gone away
  Epeius opened the side of the horse; and all the chiefs let themselves down
  softly to the ground。         Some rushed to the gate; to open it; and they killed
  the sleeping sentinels and let in the Greeks。               Others sped with torches to
  burn   the   houses   of   the   Trojan   princes;   and   terrible   was   the   slaughter   of
  men;   unarmed   and   half   awake;   and   loud   were   the   cries   of   the   women。
  But     Ulysses      had    slipped     away      at   the   first;   none     knew     where。
  Neoptolemus ran to the palace of Priam; who was sitting at the altar in his
  courtyard; praying vainly to the Gods; for Neoptolemus slew the old man
  cruelly; and his white hair was dabbled in his blood。                  All through the city
  was fighting and slaying; but Menelaus went to the house of Deiphobus;
  knowing that Helen was there。
  In   the   doorway   he   found   Deiphobus   lying   dead   in   all   his   armour;   a
  spear   standing   in   his   breast。     There   were   footprints   marked   in   blood;
  leading through the portico and into the hall。                There Menelaus went; and
  found Ulysses leaning; wounded; against one of the central pillars of the
  great chamber; the firelight shining on his armour。
  〃Why hast thou slain Deiphobus and robbed me of my revenge?〃 said
  Menelaus。       〃You   swore   to   give   me   a   gift;〃   said   Ulysses;   〃and   will   you
  keep your oath?〃          〃Ask what you will;〃 said Menelaus; 〃it is yours and
  my oath cannot be broken。〃              〃I ask the life of Helen of the fair hands;〃
  said Ulysses 〃this is my own life…price that I pay back to her; for she saved
  my   life   when   I   took   the   Luck   of   Troy;   and   I   swore   that   hers   should   be
  saved。〃
  Then Helen stole; glimmering in white robes; from a recess in the dark
  hall; and fell at the feet of Menelaus; her golden hair lay in the dust of the
  hearth;   and   her   hands   moved   to   touch   his   knees。   His   drawn   sword   fell
  from the hands of Menelaus; and pity and love came into his heart; and he
  raised her from the dust and her white arms were round his neck; and they
  both   wept。      That   night   Menelaus   fought   no   more;   but   they   tended   the
  wound   of   Ulysses;   for   the   sword   of   Deiphobus   had   bitten   through   his
  helmet。
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  When dawn came Troy lay in ashes; and the women were being driven
  with spear shafts to the ships; and the men were left unburied; a prey to
  dogs and all manner of birds。           Thus the grey city fell; that had lorded it
  for   many   centuries。     All   the   gold   and   silver   and   rich   embroideries;   and
  ivory and amber; the horses and chariots; were divided among the army;
  all but a treasure of silver and gold; hidden in a chest within a hollow of
  the wall; and this treasure was found; not very  many  years ago; by  men
  digging deep on the hill where Troy once stood。                The women; too; were
  given to the princes; and Neoptolemus took Andromache to his home in
  Argos; to draw water from the well and to be the slave of a master; and
  Agamemnon   carried   beautiful   Cassandra;   the   daughter   of   Priam;   to   his
  palace in Mycenae; where they were both slain in one night。                  Only Helen
  was led with honour to the ship of Menelaus。
  The story of all that happened to Ulysses on his way home from Troy
  is told in another book; 〃Tales of the Greek Seas。〃
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