And entering the court they stood beneath the gallery of the chamber where the goddess prepared the couch of Hephaestus.

But he had gone early to his forge and anvils to a broad cavern in a floating island where with the blast of flame he wrought all manner of curious work; and she all alone was sitting within, on an inlaid seat facing the door.

And her white shoulders on each side were covered with the mantle of her hair and she was parting it with a golden comb and about to braid up the long tresses; but when she saw the goddesses before her, she stayed and called them within, and rose from her seat and placed them on couches.
Then she herself sat down, and with her hands gathered up the locks still uncombed.

And smiling she addressed them with crafty words: (ll.

52-54) "Good friends, what intent, what occasion brings you here after so long?
Why have ye come, not too frequent visitors before, chief among goddesses that ye are ?" (ll.