_Or._ He lives yet? O joy! Let me go slay him! _Cly._ Nay, kill me! I slew thy father--I alone. Aegisthus Had no guilt in it. _Or._ Who, who grips my arm! Who holds me back? O Madness! Ah Aegisthus! I see him; they drag him hither--Off with thee! _Cly._ Orestes, dost thou not know thy mother? _Or._ Die, Aegisthus! By Orestes' hand, die, villain! {_Exit._ _Cly._ Ah, thou'st escaped me! Thou shalt slay me first! {_Exit_. _El._ Pylades, go! Run, run! Oh, stay her! fly; Bring her back hither! {_Exit_ PYLADES. I shudder! She is still His mother, and he must have pity on her. Yet only now she saw her children stand Upon the brink of an ignoble death; And was her sorrow and her daring then As great as they are now for him? At last The day so long desired has come; at last, Tyrant, thou diest; and once more I hear The palace all resound with wails and cries, As on that horrible and bloody night, Which was my father's last, I heard it ring. Already hath Orestes struck the blow, The mighty blow; already is Aegisthus Fallen--the tumult of the crowd proclaims it. Behold Orestes conqueror, his sword Dripping with blood! _Enter_ ORESTES. O brother mine, come, Avenger of the king of kings, our father, Argos, and me, come to my heart! _Or._ Sister, At last thou seest me Atrides' worthy son. Look, 't is Aegisthus' blood! I hardly saw him And ran to slay him where he stood, forgetting To drag him to our father's sepulcher. Full twice seven times I plunged and plunged my sword Into his cowardly and quaking heart; Yet have I slaked not my long thirst of vengeance! _El_. Then Clytemnestra did not come in time To stay thine arm? _Or._ And who had been enough For that? To stay my arm? I hurled myself Upon him; not more swift the thunderbolt. The coward wept, and those vile tears the more Filled me with hate. A man that durst not die Slew thee, my father! _El._ Now is our sire avenged! Calm thyself now, and tell me, did thine eyes Behold not Pylades? _Or._ I saw Aegisthus; None other. Where is dear Pylades? And why Did he not second me in this glorious deed? _El._ I had confided to his care our mad And desperate mother. _Or._ I knew nothing of them. _Enter_ PYLADES. _El._ See, Pylades returns--O heavens, what do I see? Returns alone? _Or._ And sad? Oh wherefore sad, Part of myself, art thou? Know'st not I've slain Yon villain? Look, how with his life-blood yet My sword is dripping! Ah, thou did'st not share His death-blow with me! Feed then on this sight Thine eyes, my Pylades! _Pyl._ O sight! Orestes, Give me that sword.