heaven against you? Who knows but what Ulysses may come back
after all, and pay these scoundrels in full, either
single-handed or with a force of Achaeans behind him? If
Minerva were to take as great a liking to you as she did to
Ulysses when we were fighting before Troy (for I never yet saw
the gods so openly fond of any one as Minerva then was of your
father), if she would take as good care of you as she did of
him, these wooers would soon some of them forget their wooing."

Telemachus answered, "I can expect nothing of the kind; it would
be far too much to hope for. I dare not let myself think of it.
Even though the gods themselves willed it no such good fortune
could befall me."

On this Minerva said, "Telemachus, what are you talking about?
Heaven has a long arm if it is minded to save a man; and if it
were me, I should not care how much I suffered before getting
home, provided I could be safe when I was once there. I would
rather this, than get home quickly, and then be killed in my own
house as Agamemnon was by the treachery of Aegisthus and his
wife. Still, death is certain, and when a man's hour is come,
not even the gods can save him, no matter how fond they are of
him."

"Mentor," answered Telemachus, "do not let us talk about it any
more. There is no chance of my father's ever coming back; the
gods have long since counselled his destruction. There is
something else, however, about which I should like to ask
Nestor, for he knows much more than any one else does. They say
he has reigned for three generations so that it is like talking