"Two of you," she said, "come with me that I may learn what it is that has befallen; I heard the voice of my husband's honoured mother; my own heart beats as though it would come into my mouth and my limbs refuse to carry me; some great misfortune for Priam's children must be at hand.

May I never live to hear it, but I greatly fear that Achilles has cut off the retreat of brave Hector and has chased him on to the plain where he was singlehanded; I fear he may have put an end to the reckless daring which possessed my husband, who would never remain with the body of his men, but would dash on far in front, foremost of them all in valour." Her heart beat fast, and as she spoke she flew from the house like a maniac, with her waiting-women following after.

When she reached the battlements and the crowd of people, she stood looking out upon the wall, and saw Hector being borne away in front of the city--the horses dragging him without heed or care over the ground towards the ships of the Achaeans.

Her eyes were then shrouded as with the darkness of night and she fell fainting backwards.

She tore the attiring from her head and flung it from her, the frontlet and net with its plaited band, and the veil which golden Venus had given her on the day when Hector took her with him from the house of Eetion, after having given countless gifts of wooing for her sake.