Lichas Lady, what message shall I bear to Heracles? Give me thy commands, for, as thou seest, I am going.

Deianeira How hastily thou art rushing away, when thy visit had been so long delayed, - before we have had time for further talk.

Lichas Nay, if there be aught that thou would'st ask, I am at thy service.

Deianeira Wilt thou indeed give me the honest truth?

Lichas Yes, be great Zeus my witness, - in anything that I know,

Deianeira Who is the woman, then, whom thou hast brought?

Lichas She is Euboean; but of what birth, I cannot say.

Messenger Sirrah, look at me:- to whom art thou speaking, think'st thou?

Lichas And thou - what dost thou mean by such a question?

Messenger Deign to answer me, if thou comprehendest.

Lichas To the royal Deianeira, unless mine eyes deceive me, - daughter of Oeneus, wife of Heracles, and my queen.

Messenger The very word that I wished to hear from thee:- thou sayest that she is thy queen?

Lichas Yes, as in duty bound.

Messenger Well, then, what art thou prepared to suffer, if found guilty of failing in that duty?

Lichas Failing in duty? What dark saying is this?

Messenger 'Tis none; the darkest words are thine own.

Lichas I will go, I was foolish to hear thee so long.

Messenger No, not till thou hast answered a brief question.

Lichas Ask what thou wilt; thou art not taciturn.

Messenger That captive, whom thou hast brought home - thou knowest whom mean?

Lichas Yes; but why dost thou ask?

Messenger Well, saidst thou not that thy prisoner - she, on whom thy gaze now turns so vacantly - was Iole, daughter of Eurytus?

Lichas Said it to whom? Who and where is the man that will be thy witness to hearing this from me?

Messenger To many of our own folk thou saidst it: in the public gathering of Trachinians, a great crowd heard thus much from thee.

Lichas Ay - said they heard-but 'tis one thing to report a fancy, and another to make the story good.

Messenger A fancy! Didst thou not say on thine oath that thou wast bringing her as a bride for Heracles?

Lichas I? bringing a bride? - In the name of the gods, dear mistress, tell me who this stranger may be?

Messenger One who heard from thine own lips that the conquest of the whole city was due to love for this girl: the Lydian woman was not its destroyer, but the passion which this maid has kindled.

Lichas Lady, let this fellow withdraw: to prate with the brainsick befits not sane man.

Deianeira Nay, I implore thee by Zeus whose lightnings go forth over the high glens of Oeta, do not cheat me of the truth! For she to whom thou wilt speak is not ungenerous, nor hath she yet to learn that the human heart is inconstant to its joys. They are not wise, then, who stand forth to buffet against Love; for Love rules the gods as he will, and me; and why not another woman, such as I am? So I am mad indeed, if I blame my husband, because that distemper hath seized him; or this woman, his partner in a thing which is no shame to them, and no wrong to me. Impossible! No; if he taught thee to speak falsely, 'tis not a noble lesson that thou art learning; or if thou art thine own teacher in this, thou wilt be found cruel when it is thy wish to prove kind. Nay, tell me the whole truth. To a free-born man, the name of liar cleaves as a deadly brand. If thy hope is to escape detection, that, too, is vain; there are many to whom thou hast spoken, who will tell me.

And if thou art afraid, thy fear is mistaken. Not to learn the truth,-that, indeed, would pain me; but to know it - what is there terrible in that? Hath not Heracles wedded others ere now, - ay, more than living man, - and no one of them hath bad harsh word or taunt from me; nor shall this girl, though her whole being should be absorbed in her passion; for indeed I felt a profound pity when I beheld her, because her beauty hath wrecked her life, and she, hapless one, all innocent, hath brought her fatherland to ruin and to bondage.

Well, those things must go with wind and stream. - To thee I say,-deceive whom thou wilt, but ever speak the truth to me.

Leader Hearken to her good counsel, and hereafter thou shalt have no cause to complain of this lady; our thanks, too, will be thine.

Lichas Nay, then, dear mistress, - since I see that thou thinkest as mortals should think, and canst allow for weakness, - I will tell thee the whole truth, and hide it not. Yes, it is even as yon man saith. This girl inspired that overmastering love which long ago smote through the soul of Heracles; for this girl's sake the desolate Oechalia, her home, was made the prey of his spear. And he, - it is just to him to say so, - never denied this, - never told me to conceal it. But I, lady, fearing to wound thy heart by such tidings, have sinned, if thou count this in any sort a sin.

Now, however, that thou knowest the whole story, for both your sakes, - for his, and not less for thine own, - bear with the woman, and be content that the words which thou hast spoken regarding her should bind thee still. For he, whose strength is victorious in all else, hath been utterly vanquished by his passion for this girl.

Deianeira Indeed, mine own thoughts move me to act thus. Trust me, I will not add a new affliction to my burdens by waging a fruitless fight against the gods.

But let us go into the house, that thou mayest receive my messages; and, since gifts should be meetly recompensed with gifts,- that thou mayest take these also. It is not right that thou shouldest go back with empty hands, after coming with such a goodly train.