Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 77 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 77: what you’re looking at
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# Analysis of Page 65 from "The Taking of Helen" This is a page of running prose dialogue from a Victorian penny dreadful serial. Characters named Paris, Nireus, and Helen are in hiding from soldiers. Paris explains he is digging a water-trap as a defensive measure and has refused further concealment, stating that fate cannot be altered. Nireus asks about Helen's whereabouts; she is indoors with a girl. Paris then recounts how he escaped searchers by hiding in a pitch-black cellar behind casks—the soldiers came close but could not see him without moving the casks, and lacked an officer with authority to do so. The dialogue emphasizes danger, resignation to fate, and narrow escapes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE TAKING OF HELEN 65 “What are you doing there?’’ Paris asked. “Making a sort of water-trap, by digging a hollow and lining it with stones.’’ ‘“T am coming down to help you.”’ “Yes, but your safety ?”’ “T am not going to hide any more. In the first place it is unworthy, and in the second it is very un- comfortable, and in the third, men cannot alter their fates beyond a point.’’” He flung off his gilded cloak and stooped to the task. “Qh, it is joy,” he said, “not to be cramped up any more.”’ “Where is Helen?’’ Nireus asked. “Indoors; the girl is with her.’’ “And if the soldiers come again ?”’ “Tf they come, they come. If I’m to die here, I will die.”’ | “T will keep a look-out,’’ Nireus said. “Do not do anything so suspicious,” Paris said. “Help me dig this trap and leave Helen with the girl.” ‘How did you escape the searchers?’’ Nireus asked. “Because Fortune is with me at this time, as I knew she would be. ‘The girl put me in a pitch-black cellar at first, behind some casks; and I was hardly settled in before the men were searching the house for me. They came down into my cellar and were very close to me, but could not have seen me, without moving the casks. If they had had an officer with them, they would have moved the casks, but the men who had CoOnniclaooKs (C(O)