尤利西斯被留在修道院里，思考着如何在密涅瓦的帮助下杀死追求者。过了一会儿，他对忒勒马科斯说:“忒勒马科斯，我们必须把盔甲集合起来，把它拿下来。当追求者问你为什么把它摘下来时，找个借口。说你把它从烟雾中取出来，因为它不再是尤利西斯离开时的样子，而是被烟灰弄脏了。更具体地说，你担心朱庇特会让他们为酒争吵，他们可能会互相伤害，这可能会使宴会和求爱都蒙羞，因为看到武器有时会诱使人们使用武器。”忒勒马科斯赞同他父亲的话，于是他把护士欧律克利亚叫来，对她说:“护士，把女人们关在她们的房间里，我把我父亲留下的盔甲拿到下面的储藏室去。”现在我父亲去世了，没有人照看它，而且在我小时候，它已经被煤烟弄脏了。我想把它放在烟雾无法到达的地方。”“我希望，孩子，”欧律克丽娅回答说，“你能亲自管理这所房子，自己照管所有的财产。可是谁跟你一起去，把你送到储藏室去呢? The maids would have so, but you would not let them. "The stranger," said Telemachus, "shall show me a light; when people eat my bread they must earn it, no matter where they come from." Euryclea did as she was told, and bolted the women inside their room. Then Ulysses and his son made all haste to take the helmets, shields, and spears inside; and Minerva went before them with a gold lamp in her hand that shed a soft and brilliant radiance, whereon Telemachus said, "Father, my eyes behold a great marvel: the walls, with the rafters, crossbeams, and the supports on which they rest are all aglow as with a flaming fire. Surely there is some god here who has come down from heaven." "Hush," answered Ulysses, "hold your peace and ask no questions, for this is the manner of the gods. Get you to your bed, and leave me here to talk with your mother and the maids. Your mother in her grief will ask me all sorts of questions." On this Telemachus went by torch-light to the other side of the inner court, to the room in which he always slept. There he lay in his bed till morning, while Ulysses was left in the cloister pondering on the means whereby with Minerva's help he might be able to kill the suitors. Then Penelope came down from her room looking like Venus or Diana, and they set her a seat inlaid with scrolls of silver and ivory near the fire in her accustomed place. It had been made by Icmalius and had a footstool all in one piece with the seat itself; and it was covered with a thick fleece: on this she now sat, and the maids came from the women's room to join her. They set about removing the tables at which the wicked suitors had been dining, and took away the bread that was left, with the cups from which they had drunk. They emptied the embers out of the braziers, and heaped much wood upon them to give both light and heat; but Melantho began to rail at Ulysses a second time and said, "Stranger, do you mean to plague us by hanging about the house all night and spying upon the women? Be off, you wretch, outside, and eat your supper there, or you shall be driven out with a firebrand." Ulysses scowled at her and answered, "My good woman, why should you be so angry with me? Is it because I am not clean, and my clothes are all in rags, and because I am obliged to go begging about after the manner of tramps and beggars generall? I too was a rich man once, and had a fine house of my own; in those days I gave to many a tramp such as I now am, no matter who he might be nor what he wanted. I had any number of servants, and all the other things which people have who live well and are accounted wealthy, but it pleased Jove to take all away from me; therefore, woman, beware lest you too come to lose that pride and place in which you now wanton above your fellows; have a care lest you get out of favour with your mistress, and lest Ulysses should come home, for there is still a chance that he may do so. Moreover, though he be dead as you think he is, yet by Apollo's will he has left a son behind him, Telemachus, who will note anything done amiss by the maids in the house, for he is now no longer in his boyhood." Penelope heard what he was saying and scolded the maid, "Impudent baggage, said she, "I see how abominably you are behaving, and you shall smart for it. You knew perfectly well, for I told you myself, that I was going to see the stranger and ask him about my husband, for whose sake I am in such continual sorrow."