Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878).djvu/308

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210
ELECTRA.

From her and him, for she was with me still,
The greater mischief, sucking out my life,
My very heart's blood: now, for all her threats,
We shall live on and pass our days in peace.

Elec. Ah, wretched me! for now I can but mourn,
Orestes, at thine evil case, thus dying,
By this thy mother scorned. Can this be well?790

Clytem. Not so with thee. For him what is is well.

Elec. Hear this, thou Power, avenging him who died!

Clytem. Right well she heard, and what she heard hath wrought.

Elec. Heap scoff on scoff; thou 'rt fortune's darling now.

Clytem. Thou and Orestes, will ye check me now?

Elec. We, we are checked, and far from checking thee.

Clytem. [To Attendant.] Thou would'st deserve much praise, if thou hast checked,
Ο stranger, that loud cry of many tongues.

Attend. And may I then depart, my task being done?

Clytem. Nay, nay; thou would'st not then fare worthily800
Of me, or of the friend that sent thee here;
Come in, and leave this girl to cry without,
And wail her own misfortunes and her friends'.

[Exeunt Clytemnestra and Attendant.

Elec. And does she seem to you, that hateful one,
As one who grieves in bitter pain of heart,
To wail and weep full sorely for her son
Who died so sadly? Nay, (ah, wretched me!)
She wends her way exulting. Ah, Orestes!
Dear brother, in thy death thou slayest me;
For thou art gone, bereaving my poor heart
Of all the little hope that yet remained,810
That thou would'st come, a living minister
Of vengeance for thy father and for me,
Me miserable. Now whither shall I turn?