ch he did not
win from any love for us?" So his people were angry with Meleagros,
and his spirit grew yet more bitter within him. Once again he lay
within his chamber, and his spear and shield hung idle on the wall,
and it pleased him more to listen the whole day long to the soft words
of Kleopatra than to be doing brave and good deeds for the people of
his land.

Then the heart of his mother, Althaia, was more and more turned away
from him, so that she said in bitterness of spirit, "What good shall
his life now do to me?" and she brought forth the half-burnt brand
from its secret place, and cast it on the hearth. Suddenly it burst
into a flame, and suddenly the strength of Meleagros began to fail as
he lay in the arms of Kleopatra. "My life is wasting within me," he
said; "clasp me closer in thine arms; let others lay a curse upon me,
so only I die rejoicing in thy love." Weaker and weaker grew his
failing breath, but still he looked with loving eyes on the face of
Kleopatra, and his spirit went forth with a sigh of gladness, as the
last spark of the brand flickered out upon the hearth.

Then was there grief and sorrow in the house of Oineus and through all
the City of Kalydon, but they wept and mourned in vain. They thought
now of his good deeds, his wise counsels, and his mighty arm, but in
vain they bewailed the death of their chieftain in the glory of his
age. Yet deeper and more bitter was the sorrow of Althaia, for the
love of a mother came back to her heart when the Moirai had
accomplished the doom of her child. And yet more bitterly sorrowed his
wife, Kleopatra, and yearned for the love which had been torn away
from her. There was no more joy within the halls of Oineus, for the
Erinys had done their task well. Soon Althaia followed her child to
the unknown land, and Kleopatra went forth with joy to meet Meleagros
in the dark kingdom of Hades and Persephone.

IAMOS.

On the banks of Alpheios, Evadne watched over her new-born babe, till
she fled away because she feared the wrath of Aipytos, who ruled in
Phaisana. The tears streamed down her cheeks as she prayed to Phoebus
Apollo, who dwells at Delphi, and said, "Lord of the bright day, look
on thy child, and guard him when he lies forsaken, for I may no longer
tarry near him."

So Evadne fled away, and Phoebus sent two serpents, who fed the babe
with honey as he lay amid the flowers which clustered round him. And
ever more and more through all the land w