"Idomeneus received me joyfully, and entertained me most royally in his
palace; and for nine days we feasted and made all things ready for the
hunt. But, lo! on the evening of the last day, a vision came to me.
Gold-winged Iris, the fleet-footed messenger of the gods, stood before
me. 'Hasten back to Lacedaemon,' she cried, for thou art robbed of thy
dearest treasure!' And even while she spoke, one of my own ships, came
sailing into the harbor, bringing trusted heralds whom the elders of
Lacedaemon had sent to me.

"They told me the fatal news. 'No sooner were you well on your way,'
they said, 'than Paris began to put his ship in readiness to depart.
Helen prayed him to tarry until your return, but he would not hearken,
"I will stay no longer," he said. "My seamen rest upon their oars; the
sails of my ship are spread; the breeze will soon spring up that will
carry me across the sea. But you, beauteous Helen, shall go with me;
for the deathless gods have spoken it. Aphrodite, long ago, promised
that the most beautiful woman in the world should be my wife. And who
is that most beautiful woman if it be not yourself? Come! fly over the
sea, and be my queen. It is the will of the gods."'

"It was thus that the perfidious Trojan wrought the ruin of all that
was dear to me.

"At first, Helen refused. But Paris is a handsome prince, and day
after day he renewed his suit. Then on the sixth day she yielded. In
the darkness of the night they went on board his waiting vessel,
carrying with them the gold and jewels of my treasure house; and in the
morning, when the sun arose on Lacedaemon, they were far out at sea.