"King Agamemnon, I am come, as thou badest me, with thy daughter Iphigenia. Also her mother, Queen Clytæmnestra, is come, bringing with her her little son, Orestes. And now they are resting themselves and their horses by the side of a spring, for indeed the way is long and weary. And all the army is gathered about them. And men question much wherefore they are come, saying, 'Doth the King make a marriage for his daughter; or hath he sent for her, desiring to see her?'" King Agamemnon was sore dismayed when he knew that the Queen was come, and spake to himself: "Now what shall I say to my wife? For that she is rightly come to the marriage of her daughter who can deny? But what will she say when she knoweth my purpose? And of the maiden, what shall I say? Unhappy maiden whose bridegroom shall be Death! For she will cry to me, 'Wilt thou kill me, my father?' And the little Orestes will wail, not knowing what he doeth, seeing he is but a babe." And now King Menelaus came, saying that he repented, "For why should thy child die for me? What hath she to do with war? Let the army be scattered, so that wrong be not done." Then said King Agamemnon: "But how shall I escape from this strait? For the whole host will compel me to this deed?" "Not so," said King Menelaus, "if thou wilt send back the maiden to Argos." "But what shall that profit," said the King; "for Calchas will cause the matter to be known; or Ulysses, saying that I have failed of my promise; and if I fly to Argos, they will come and destroy my city and lay waste my land. Woe is me! in what a strait am I set! But take care, my brother, that Clytæmnestra hear nothing of these things." When he had ended speaking, the Queen herself came unto the tent, riding in a chariot, having her daughter by her side. And she bade one of the attendants take out with care the caskets which she had brought for her daughter and bade others help her daughter to alight, and herself also, and to a fourth she said that he should take the young Orestes. Then Iphigenia greeted her father, saying: "Thou hast done well to send for me, my father." "'Tis true and yet not true, my child." "Thou lookest not well pleased to see me, my father." "He that is a king and commandeth a host hath many cares." "Put away thy cares awhile, and give thyself to me." "I am glad beyond measure to see thee." "Glad art thou? Then why dost thou weep?" "I weep because thou must be long time absent from me." "Perish all these fightings and troubles!" "They will cause many to perish, and me most miserably of all." "Art thou going a journey from me, my father?" "Ay, and thou also hast a journey to make." "Must I make it alone, or with my mother?" "Alone; neither father nor mother may be with thee." "Sendest thou me to dwell elsewhere?" "Hold thy peace: such things are not for maidens to inquire." "Well, my father, order matters with the Phrygians, and then make haste to return."