ords, she pressed her hand
against her bosom.

"So I feared," she said, "even so. She loves him, and he comes not. Ah!
if it be so! Now, Rei, I am tempted to pay this Queen of thine in her
own craft, and send thy spirit forth to spy on her. Nay, that I will not
do, for never shall Helen work by shameful guile or magic. Nay--but we
will hence, Rei, we will go to the Palace where my rival dwells, there
to learn the truth. Fear not, I will bring no ill on thee, nor on her
whom thou servest. Lead me to the Palace, Rei. Lead me swiftly."

Now the Wanderer slept in the arms of Meriamun, who wore the shape of
Argive Helen. His golden harness was piled by the golden bed, and by
the bed stood the black bow of Eurytus. The night drew on towards the
dawning, when of a sudden the Bow awoke and sang, and thus it sang:

"Wake! wake! though the arms of thy Love are about thee, yet
dearer by far
Than her kiss is the sound of the fight;
And more sweet than her voice is the cry of the trumpet, and
goodlier far
Than her arms is the battle's delight:
And what eyes are so bright as the sheen of the bronze when the
sword is aloft,
What breast is so fair as the shield?
Or what garland of roses is dear as the helm, and what sleep is
so soft
As the sleep of slain men on the field?"

Lo! the Snake that was twined about the form of her who wore the shape
of Helen heard the magic song. It awoke, it arose. It twisted itself
about the body of the Wanderer and the body of her who wore the shape of
Helen, knitting them together in the bond of sin. It grew, and lifting
its woman's head on high, it sang in answer. And thus it sang of doom:

"Sleep! be at rest for an hour; as in death men believe they shall
rest,
But they wake! And thou too shalt awake!
In the dark of the grave do they stir; but about them, on arms and
on breast,
Are the toils and the coils of the Snake:
By the tree where the first lovers lay, did I watch as I watch
where he lies,
Love laid on the bosom of Lust!"

Then the great bow answered the Snake, and it sang:

"Of the tree where the first lovers sinned was I shapen; I bid
thee arise,
Thou Slayer that soon shall be dust."

And the Snake sang reply:

"Be thou silent, my Daughter of Death, be thou silent nor wake