Page:Sologub Sweet Scented Name.djvu/224

 "Aristomakh, how cleverly you pretend to have forgotten all! But I don't understand why you take the trouble to exercise such cunning, or why you contrive reproaches against yourself which I for my part should not have thought of alone. You left me in the moment of mortal danger because it was clearly necessary, and you couldn't help me otherwise than by abandoning me there. Surely you won't remain obstinate in your denial after I remind you of the words of the oracle."

Gurof suddenly remembered. It was as if a bright light had flooded into the dark abyss of the forgotten. And he cried out loudly and excitedly:

"He alone will kill the Beast!"

The boy laughed. Aristomakh turned to him with the question:

"Have vou killed the Beast, Timaride?"

"With what? Even were my hands strong enough I am not he who has the power to kill the Beast with a blow of the fist. We were incautious, Aristomakh, and without weapons. We were playing on the sands and the Beast fell upon us suddenly and struck me with his heavy paw. My fate was to give my life as a sweet sacrifice to glory and in high exploit, but to you it