ALCESTIS 239
Up to the mountain-summit, till there break Speech forth : ' So, this was she, then, died of old i"«
To save her husband I now, a deity She bends above us. Hail, benignant one ! Give good ! ' Such voices so will supplicate. But — can it be ? Alkmene's offspring comes, Admetos I — to thy house advances here I " i"<5
Ay, he it was advancing / In he strode, 1757
Aiid took his stand before Admetos, — turned Λ^οιο hy desjKiir to such a qnietude, He neither raised his face nor spoke, this time, neo The while his friend surveyed him steadily.
Under the great guard of one arm, there leant ιττι
A shrouded something, live and woman-like, Proj)p€d hy the heart-heats neath the lion-coat. ^Vhen he had finished his sur'vey, it seemed, The hearings of the heart hegan suhside, itts
The heljyful breath retinmed, and last the smile Shone out, all Ilerakles was back again. As the words followed the saluting hand.
" To friendly man, behoves we freely speak,
Admetos ! — nor keep buried, deep in breast, nso
Blame we leave silent. I assuredly
Judged myself proper, if I should approach
By accident calamities of thine.
To be demonstrably thy friend : but thou
Told'st me not of the corpse then claiming care, itss
That was thy wife's, but didst install me guest
I' the house here, as though busied with a grief
Indeed, but then, mere grief beyond thy gate :
