Читать книгу The Story of Greece: Told to Boys and Girls онлайн

59 страница из 107

Andromache was not in their house, but on the wall of the city, watching the battle, fearing lest harm should befall her lord. With her was her little son, in the arms of his nurse.

Hector dared not linger to search for his wife, but as he hastened back to the gates she saw him and ran to bid him farewell ere he returned to battle.

Close to his side she pressed, and her tears fell as she cried:

‘Too brave! thy valour yet will cause thy death.

Thou hast no pity on thy tender child,

Nor me, unhappy one, who soon must be

Thy widow. All the Greeks will rush on thee

To take thy life. A happier lot were mine

If I must lose thee to go down to earth,

For I shall have no hope when thou art gone—

Nothing but sorrow. Father have I none,

And no dear mother....

Hector, thou

Art father and dear mother now to me,

And brother and my youthful spouse besides,

In pity keep within the fortress here,

Nor make thy child an orphan nor thy wife

A widow.’

But Hector, though he dearly loved his wife, could not shrink from the battle. As Andromache ceased to plead with him, he held out his arms to his little son, but the child drew back in fear of the great plumes that waved on his father’s shining helmet.