Who are you?

A stranger.

Then you are welcome. All that is foreign to this town is dear to me. What is your name?

I am Philèbe and I am from Corinthe.

Ah? From Corinthe? My name's Électre.

You're very beautiful. Not at all like the people in these parts.

I, beautiful? Can you really mean it? As beautiful as the Corinthian girls? Yes.

Well here they never tell me that I am beautiful. Perhaps they don't want me to know it. Anyhow what use would beauty be to me? I'm only a servant.

What! You a servant? Have you never thought of running away?

I haven't the courage; I daren't face the country roads at night all by myself. No! I'm waiting for something.

Something or someone?

That's my secret. Now it's your turn to speak. Is Corinthe a pretty place?

Very pretty.

I suppose you think I'm very childish. But it's so hard for me to picture a life like that - going for walks, laughing and singing in the streets. Everybody here is sick with fear. Everyone except me. And I ...

Yes? And you?

I'm sick with hatred. Please tell me something else; I want to know it because of someone I'm expecting. Suppose one of the young fellows you've been telling about, who walk and laugh with girls in the evening - suppose one of these young men came home after a long journey and found his father murded, and his mother living with the murderer, and his sister treated like a slave - what would he do, that young man from Corinthe? Would he just he just take it for granted and leave his fathers house? Or would he draw his sword and hurl himself at the assassin, and slash his brains out?

Électre!

Hush!

What is it?

That was my mother, Queen Clytemnestre

Électre, hear the kings order. You are to make ready for the ceremony. You must wear your black dress and your jewels. You are a princess, Électre, and the townsfolk expect to see you, as in former years.

Do you know what they do Philèèe? Above the town there's a great cavern. People say that it leads down to hell. Each year when this anniversary comes round, the townspeople gather outside the cavern, soldiers roll away the stone which blocks the entrance, and our dead, so they say, come up from hell amd roam the city. The dead are everywhere. I refuse to take part in this mummery. Those dead folk are their dead, not mine.

If you will not obey his summons willingly, the King will have you brought to him by force.

By force? ... ha! I shall attend the rite and, if the townsfolk wish to see me, they won't be disappointed. Now I'll go and make myself ready.