and lose all?"

Then Odysseus came also into the tent, and added his persuasions to
those of Menelaus. The king hearkened to him, for no man was more
crafty in counsel; and the three recalled the herald, and formed a plan
whereby they might please Artemis by doing as she desired. Agamemnon,
in his weakness, wrote a letter to Clytemnestra his queen, telling her
to bring the maiden, Iphigenia, to Aulis, there to be wedded to the
bravest of all the Greeks.

"_Fail not in this_," added he, "_for the godlike hero will not sail
with us unless my daughter be given to him in marriage_."

And when he had written the letter, he sealed it, and sent it by a
swift messenger to Clytemnestra at Mycenas.

Nevertheless the king's heart was full of sorrow, and when he was alone
he planned how he might yet save his daughter. Night came, but he
could not sleep; he walked the floor of his tent; he wept and lamented
like one bereft of reason. At length he sat down, and wrote another
letter:

"_Daughter of Leda, send not thy child to Aulis, for I will give her in
marriage at another time_."

Then he called another messenger, an old and trusted servant of the
household, and put this letter into his hands.

"Take this with all haste to my queen, who, perchance, is even now on
her way to Aulis. Stop not by any cool spring in the groves, and let
not thine eyes close for sleep. And see that the chariot bearing the
queen and Iphigenia pass thee not unnoticed."

The messenger took the letter and hastened away. But hardly had he
passed the line of the tents when Menelaus saw him, and took the letter
away from him. And when he had read it, he went before his brother,
and reproached him| with bitter words.

"Before you were chosen captain of the host," said he, "you were kind
and gentle, and the friend of every man. There was nothing that you
would not do to aid your fellows. Now you are puffed up with pride and
vain conceit, and care nothing even for those who are your equals in
power. Yet, for all, you are not rid of your well-known cowardice; and
when you saw that your leadership was likely to be taken away from you
unless you obeyed the commands of Artemis, you agreed to do this thing.
Now you are trying to break your word, sending secretly to your wife,
and bidding her not to bring her daughter to Aulis."

Then Agamemnon answered, "Why should I destroy my daughter in order to
win back thy wife? Let those who wish go with t