ked most sweetly in his eyes.

Now the Wanderer wavered no more, but put out his arms to gather her to
his heart. Now the Red Star was hidden on his breast, now the red drops
dripped from the Star upon his mail, and the face of her who is the
World's Desire grew soft in the shadow of his helm, while her eyes were
melted to tears beneath his kiss. The Gods send all lovers like joy!

Softly she sighed, softly drew back from his arms, and her lips were
opened to speak when a change came over her face. The kind eyes were
full of fear again, as she gazed where, through the window of the shrine
of alabaster, the sunlight flickered in gold upon the chapel floor. What
was that which flickered in the sunlight? or was it only the dance of
the motes in the beam? There was no shadow cast in the sunshine; why
did she gaze as if she saw another watching this meeting of their loves?
However it chanced, she mastered her fear; there was even a smile on her
lips and mirth in her eyes as she turned and spoke again.

"Odysseus, thou art indeed the cunningest of men. Thou hast stolen my
secret by thy craft; who save thee would dream of craft in such an hour?
For when I thought thee Paris, and thy face was hidden by thy helm, I
called on Odysseus in my terror, as a child cries to a mother. Methinks
I have ever held him dear; always I have found him ready at need, though
the Gods have willed that till this hour my love might not be known,
nay, not to my own heart; so I called on Odysseus, and those words were
wrung from me to scare false Paris back to his own place. But the words
that should have driven Paris down to Hell drew Odysseus to my breast.
And now it is done, and I will not go back upon my words, for we have
kissed our kiss of troth, before the immortal Gods have we kissed, and
those ghosts who guard the way to Helen, and whom thou alone couldst
pass, as it was fated, are witnesses to our oath. And now the ghosts
depart, for no more need they guard the beauty of Helen. It is given to
thee to have and keep, and now is Helen once more a very woman, for
at thy kiss the curse was broken. Ah, friend! since my lord died in
pleasant Lacedaemon, what things have I seen and suffered by the Gods'
decree! But two things I will tell thee, Odysseus, and thou shalt read
them as thou mayest. Though never before in thy life-days did thy lips
touch mine, yet I know that not now for the first time we kiss. And this
I know also, for the Gods have set