Chapter XXVIII: Book XXIII

_Penelope comes down to see Ulysses, and being at last
convinced that he is her husband, retires with him to
their own old room--In the morning Ulysses, Telemachus,
Philœtius, and Eumæus go to the house of Laertes._

Euryclea now went upstairs and told Penelope what had
happened. "Wake up, my dear child," said she, "Ulysses
is come home at last and has killed the suitors who were
giving so much trouble in the house, eating up his estate
and ill-treating his son."

"My good nurse," answered Penelope, "you must be mad. The 19
gods sometimes send very sensible people out of their
minds, and make foolish people sensible. This is what
they must have been doing to you. Moreover, you have
waked me from the soundest sleep that I have enjoyed
since my husband left me. Go back into the women's room;
if it had been any one but you, I should have given her a
severe scolding."

Euryclea still maintained that what she had said was 25
true, and in answer to Penelope's further questions told
her as much as she knew about the killing of the suitors.
"When I came down," she said, "I found Ulysses standing
over the corpses; you would have enjoyed it, if you
had seen him all bespattered with blood and filth, and
looking just like a lion. But the corpses are now piled
up in the gatehouse, and he has sent me to bring you to
him."

Penelope said that it could not he Ulysses, but must be 58
some god who had resolved to punish the suitors for their
great wickedness. Then Euryclea told her about the scar.

"My dear nurse," answered Penelope, "however wise you may 80
be, you can hardly fathom the counsels of the gods. Still
I will go and find my son that I may see the corpses of
the suitors, and the man who has killed them."

On this she came down into the cloister and took her 85
seat opposite Ulysses, in the fire-light, by the wall at
right angles to that by which she had entered, while her
husband sat by one of the bearing-posts of the cloister,
looking down and waiting to hear what she would say. For
a long time she sat as one lost in amazement and said
nothing, till Telemachus upbraided her for her coldness.
"Your heart," he said, "was always hard as a stone."

"My son," said his mother, "I am stupefied; nevertheless 104
if this man is really Ulysses, I shall find it out; for
there are tokens which we two alone know of."

Ulysses smiled at this, and said to Telemachus, "Let your 114
mother prove me as she will, she will make up her mind
about it presently. Meanwhile let us think what we shall
do, for we have been killing all the picked youth of
Ithaca."

"We will do," answered Telemachus, "whatever you may 121
think best."

"Then," said Ulysses, "wash, and put your shirts on. Bid
the maids also go to their own room and dress. Phemius
shall strike up a dance tune, so that any who are passing
in the street may think there is a wedding in the house,
and we can get away into the woods before the death of
the suitors is noised abroad. Once there, we will do as
heaven shall direct."

They did as he had said. The house echoed with the sound 141
of men and women dancing, and the people outside said,
"So the queen has been getting married at last. She ought
to be ashamed of herself, for not staying to protect her
husband's property."

Eurynome washed and anointed Ulysses; Minerva also 154
beautified him, making the hair grow thick on the top
of his head and flow down in hyacinthine curls. He came
from the bath looking like an immortal god, and sat down
opposite his wife. Finding, however, that he could not
move her, he said to Euryclea, "Nurse, get a bed ready
for me. I will sleep alone, for this woman has a heart as
hard as iron."

"My dear," said Penelope, "I have no wish to set myself 173
up, nor to depreciate you, but I am not struck by your
appearance, for I well remember what kind of a man you
were when you left Ithaca. Nevertheless, Euryclea, take
his bed out of the room he built for it, and make it
ready for him."

Ulysses knew that the bed could not be moved without 181
cutting down the stem of a growing olive tree on the
stump of which he had built it. He was very angry, and
desired to know who had ventured on doing this, at the
same time describing the bed fully to Penelope.

Then Penelope was convinced that he really was Ulysses, 205
and fairly broke down. She flung her arms about his neck,
and said she had only held aloof so long because she had
been shuddering at the bare thought of any one deceiving
her. Ulysses in his turn melted and embraced her, and
they would have gone on indulging their sorrow till
morning came, had not Minerva miraculously prolonged the
night.

Ulysses then began to tell her of the voyages which, 247
Tiresias had told him he must now undertake, but soon
broke off by saying that they had better go to bed. To
which Penelope rejoined that as she should certainly have
to be told about it sooner or later, she had perhaps
better hear it at once.

Thus pressed Ulysses told her. "In the end," said he, 263
"Tiresias told me that death should come to me from the
sea. He said my life should ebb away very gently when I
was full of years and peace of mind, and that my people
should bless me."

Meanwhile Eurynome and Euryclea made the room ready,[41] 288
and Euryclea went inside the house, leaving Eurynome to
light Penelope and Ulysses to their bed-room. Telemachus,
Philœtius, and Eumæus now left off dancing, and made the
women leave off also. Then they laid themselves down to
sleep in the cloisters.

When they were in bed together, Penelope told Ulysses how 300
much she had had to bear in seeing the house filled with
wicked suitors who had killed so many oxen and sheep on
her account, and had drunk so many casks of wine. Ulysses
in his turn told her the whole story of his adventures,
touching briefly upon every point, and detailing not 310
only his own sufferings but those he had inflicted upon
other people. She was delighted to listen, and never went
to sleep till he ended his story and dropped off into a
profound slumber.

When Minerva thought that Ulysses had slept long enough 314
she permitted Dawn to rise from the waters of Oceanus,
and Ulysses got up. "Wife," said he to Penelope, "Now
that we have at last come together again, take care of
the property that is in my house. As for the sheep and
goats that the wicked suitors have eaten, I will take
many by force from other people, and will compel the men
of the place to make good the rest. I will now go out
to my father's house in the country. At sunrise it will
get noised about that I have been killing the suitors.
Go upstairs, therefore, and stay there with your waiting
women. See nobody, and ask no questions."

As he spoke he girded on his armour; he roused the others 366
also and bade them arm. He then undid the gate, and they
all sallied forth. It was now daylight, but Minerva
enshrouded them in darkness, and led them quickly out of
the town.