e
feet tripping nimbly, and many a curious glance at the majestic
stranger, the maidens hastened to obey her command. And soon the
tables, which were all of silver, were set forth with golden vessels,
the chairs spread with purple tapestries, and the rich red wine
mingled in a silver bowl. Others prepared a bath for Odysseus, and
when he had bathed, more than mortal health and vigour seemed to enter
his limbs, such virtue had Circe shed into the water.

After that they sat down to meat; but Odysseus, whose mind was full of
his comrades, left every dish untasted, and sat without uttering a
word. When she observed it, Circe rallied him for his sullenness: "Art
thou afraid to eat?" she said, smiling: "have I not sworn to do thee
no harm? Ah! thou art thinking of thy friends. Come, then, and I will
restore them to thee." So she brought him to the stye where they were
confined together, and opening the gate drove them all forth, a herd
of bristly swine. Then she anointed them one by one with another drug;
and instantly the bristles fell away from them, and they became men
again, only younger and fairer to behold than they were before. With
tears of joy they embraced Odysseus, and the whole place rang with
their happy greetings, so that even Circe was moved by the tender
scene.

When they had grown calmer she bade Odysseus go down to the sea, and
bring back all the rest of his company to take up their abode in her
house. Being now quite reassured as to her purpose, he hesitated not
to obey, and went down alone to carry the message from Circe. Arrived
at the ship he was hailed by his comrades as one returned from the
dead; but putting aside their eager questions he told them to beach
the vessel, stow away all her tackle, and follow him to the house of
Circe, where they would find all their fellows feasting and making
merry.

Much cheered by his words the men set to work with willing hands, and
before an hour had passed the whole company was reunited under Circe's
hospitable roof. The dreaded witch had laid aside all her terrors, and
now appeared only in the character of a kind and generous hostess,
whose sole care was for the comfort and welfare of her guests. Days
lengthened into weeks, and weeks into months, and still they lingered
on in that luxurious clime, as if there were no such place as Ithaca,
and no wide waste of sea to be crossed.

At last, when they had lived a whole year on the island, Odysseus' men
began to