THE PERILOUS SEAT BOOKS BY CAROLINE DALE SNEDEKER SETH WAY: A ROMANCE OF THE NEW HARMONY COMMUNITY THE SPARTAN THE PERILOUS SEAT THE PERILOUS SEAT BY CAROLINE DALE SNEDEKER [Illustration] The untaught maid Mounting the perilous high seat can, for the god Speak wisdom kings will seek for, but herself The god will soon destroy. GARDEN CITY NEW YORK DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 1923 COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y. _First Edition_ TO MY SON KARL SNEDEKER WHOSE GREEK SCHOLARSHIP HAS AIDED MY TASK, THIS STORY OF OLD GREECE IS DEDICATED PREFACE The background and details of this story have been carefully authenticated. The founding of the colony Inessa, however, is not an actual event. It is the union of a number of colony traditions. It is therefore correct in character and spirit. The tale was written at the MacDowell Colony at Peterborough, New Hampshire, and I am constantly mindful of the inspiration given to me by the beautiful and solitary surroundings in which I there worked. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE BOOK I _At the Pythian Festival_ I. DRYAS WINS THE PRIZE 1 II. PARENTAL JUSTICE 10 BOOK II _A Childhood in Delphi_ III. THERIA, SEVEN YEARS OLD 19 IV. ELEUTHERIA LOOKS OUT OF A WINDOW 26 V. THE TRADITIONS OF THE HOUSE 34 VI. THE GUESTS 45 VII. WHAT GIFTS THE GUESTS BROUGHT 51 VIII. DRYAS TAKES A ROBBER 57 IX. LAUREL FROM TEMPÈ 62 X. A BOY CALLED SOPHOCLES 69 XI. WHY NOT BE THE PYTHIA? 78 BOOK III _Within the Oracle_ XII. “THE PLACE OF GOLDEN TRIPODS” 89 XIII. IN PLEISTOS WOODS 101