Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 18 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is a page of running prose text (page 6) from a Victorian penny dreadful titled *The Taking of Helen*. The narrative describes Nireus overhearing Queen's attendants gossip about their mistress, then visiting the court-armourer ostensibly for a sword-chain repair. The armourer cryptically warns Nireus about Prince Paris and "King's wives" being dangerous, then delivers a suggestive message: telling Paris not to leave gloves behind and to draw curtains in "the little third room in the tower"—implications of an illicit affair. The passage builds melodramatic tension through veiled innuendo and palace intrigue.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
6 THE TAKING OF HELEN So he had Paris beside him at the high table and drank to him, talked to him in his high voice, in his silly manner, and at parting hugged him and clapped him on the shoulder. After dark that night Nireus walked in the garden. He heard Roseflower, one of the Queen’s women, talk- ing to Fragrance her friend. ‘‘Queen or no Queen,” Roseflower said, ‘‘she is no better than any of us, and the King ought to know it.” ‘Poor lady,” Fragrance said, “you’d not betray her ?”’ ‘No, I don’t say I would, but I ought to.” Nireus went to the court-armourer for a sword- chain that had needed a new link. While he was there Paris passed by; the armourer saw him by the firelight. | ‘Is Prince Paris a friend of yours, Prince?” the armourer asked. “If he be, Prince, say this: King’s wives are dangerous.”’ . “How, dangerous ?”’ “Kings may be glad of a good excuse for a quarrel.”’ “Prince Paris gives no excuse.” “Then tell him not to leave gloves behind him. Tell him to draw the curtains in the little third room in the tower.”’ ‘Speak plainly,’’ Nireus said. ‘“T do plainly,” the armourer said. COnnicnooKSs (C(O)