him taste the wine; or perhaps he may do the deed even yet.'
At these words, Ægeus drove every thought and feeling out of his breast, except the one idea of how justly the young man deserved to be put to death. He sat erect on his throne, and held out the goblet of wine with a steady hand, and bent on Theseus a frown of kingly severity; for, after all, he had too noble a spirit to murder even a treacherous enemy with a deceitful smile upon his face.
'Drink!' said he, in the stern tone with which he was wont to condemn a criminal to be beheaded. 'You have well deserved of me such wine as this!'
Theseus held out his hand to take the wine. But, before he touched it, King Ægeus trembled again. His eyes had fallen on the gold-hiked sword that hung at the young man's side. He drew back the goblet.
'That sword!' he cried; 'how came you by it?'
'It was my father's sword,' replied Theseus, with a tremulous voice. 'These were his sandals. My dear mother (her name is Æthra) told me his story while I was yet a little child. But it is only a month since I grew strong enough to lift the heavy stone, and take the sword and sandals from beneath it, and come to Athens to seek my father.'
'My son! my son!' cried King Ægeus, flinging away the fatal goblet, and tottering down from the throne to fall into the arms of Theseus. 'Yes, these are Æthra's eyes. It is my son.'
23
