have I heard of such warlike deeds on thy part,
even though thou, O Hunferth, didst murder thy brothers and nearest
kinsmen.

"Truly I say to thee, O son of Ecglaf bold,
Grendel the grisly fiend ne'er dared have wrought
So many miseries, such shame and anguish dire,
To thy lord, Hrothgar old, in his bright Heorot,
Hadst thou shown valiant mood, sturdy and battle-fierce,
As thou now boastest."

[Illustration: Beowulf replies haughtily to Hunferth]

Very wroth was Hunferth over the reminder of his former wrongdoing and
the implied accusation of cowardice, but he had brought it on himself
by his unwise belittling of Beowulf's feat, and the applause of both
Danes and Geats showed him that he dared no further attack the
champion; he had to endure in silence Beowulf's boast that he and his
Geats would that night await Grendel in the hall, and surprise him
terribly, since the fiend had ceased to expect any resistance from the
warlike Danes. The feast continued, with laughter and melody, with
song and boast, until the door from the women's bower, in the upper
end of the hall, opened suddenly, and Hrothgar's wife, the fair and
gracious Queen Wealhtheow, entered. The tumult lulled for a short
space, and the queen, pouring mead into a goblet, presented it to her
husband; joyfully he received and drank it. Then she poured mead or
ale for each man, and in due course came to Beowulf, as to the guest
of honour. Gratefully Wealhtheow greeted the lordly hero, and thanked
him for the friendship which brought him to Denmark to risk his life
against Grendel. Beowulf, rising respectfully and taking the cup from
the queen's hand, said with dignity:

"This I considered well when I the ocean sought,
Sailed in the sea-vessel with my brave warriors,
That I alone would win thy folk's deliverance,
Or in the fight would fall fast in the demon's grip.
Needs must I now perform knightly deeds in this hall,
Or here must meet my doom in darksome night."

Well pleased, Queen Wealhtheow went to sit beside her lord, where her
gracious smile cheered the assembly. Then the clamour of the feast was
renewed, until Hrothgar at length gave the signal for retiring.
Indeed, it was necessary to leave Heorot when darkness fell, for the
fiend came each night when sunlight faded. So the whole assembly
arose, each man bade his comrades "Good night," and the Danes
dispersed; but Hro