Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 26 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is a page of running prose from *The Taking of Helen*, a Victorian penny dreadful (page 14). The King questions his companion Nireus about a man who claims to possess a lock of a goddess's golden hair that glimmers in darkness. The King then asks Nireus if he has lost a pair of scarlet gloves decorated with gold roses made from fine golden hair—the same miraculous material. Nireus denies losing them, and the King begins to share wisdom from his late father about "leaving things about," suggesting Nireus may be lying or hiding something. The passage builds suspense through indirect accusation and mythological intrigue.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
14 THE TAKING OF HELEN “He is one of those,’ the King said, ‘‘who see the goddesses.” “Yes, lord, so it is said.”’ ‘Tt is said that he says that one of the goddesses had golden hair and that he share off a lock from it, and that he keeps the immortal hair about him, and that it glimmers in the dark.”’ “Truly, lord?” “You are his friend. Did he never show it to you?” “Never, lord.” Here the captain of the King’s ship came to say that the wind was already havering and would soon be steady, if they would go aboard. “Come, Nireus,’’ the King said. “‘Give me your arm, we will go on board together. By the way, my lad, have you lost such a thing as a pair of gloves?”’ “No, lord,’’ Nireus said. “Not a pair of scarlet gloves, with gold on them?”’ “Never, lord.” “They have gold roses on them, worked in marvel- lous golden hair. ‘The hair is so fine, it is fit for a queen or for a goddess. It glimmers in the dark. Do you never wear gloves?”’ “Yes, lord, when I drive and when I box.” “Do you know what my father, who was a very wise man, used to say, Nireus, about leaving things about ?”’ “No, lord.” COnnicoaooKS (C(O)