e
honoured than any queen that ever wore a crown."

Fierce was the wrath of the women.

"If thou art no vassal," said Brunhild, "thou and thy women shall walk
separate from my train when we go to the minster."

And Kriemhild answered, "Be it so."

"Now adorn ye, my maidens," said Siegfried's wife, "that I be not
shamed. If ye have rich apparel, show it this day. She shall take back
what her mouth hath spoken."

She needed not to bid twice; they sought out their richest vesture, and
dames and damsels were soon arrayed.

Then the wife of the royal host went forth with her attendants. Fair to
heart's desire were clad Kriemhild and the forty and three maidens that
she had brought with her to the Rhine. Bright shone the stuffs, woven in
Araby, whereof their robes were fashioned. And they came to the minster,
where Siegfried's knights waited for them.

The folk marvelled much to see the queens apart, and going not together
as afore. Many a warrior was to rue it.

Gunther's wife stood before the minster, and the knights dallied in
converse with the women, till that Kriemhild came up with her meiny. All
that noble maidens had ever worn was but as a wind to what these had on.
So rich was Kriemhild that thirty king's wives together had not been as
gorgeous as she was. None could deny, though they had wished it, that
the apparel Kriemhild's maidens wore that day was the richest they had
ever seen. Kriemhild did this on purpose to anger Brunhild.

So they met before the minster. And Brunhild, with deadly spite, cried
out to Kriemhild to stand still. "Before the queen shall no vassal go."

Out then spake Kriemhild, for she was wroth. "Better hadst thou held thy
peace. Thou hast shamed thine own body. How should the leman of a
vassal become a king's wife?"

"Whom namest thou leman?" cried the queen.

"Even thee," answered Kriemhild. "For it was Siegfried my husband, and
not my brother, that won thee first. Where were thy senses? It was
surely ill done to favor a vassal so. Reproaches from thee are much
amiss."

"Verily," cried Brunhild, "Gunther shall hear of it."

"What is that to me? Thine arrogancy hath deceived thee. Thou hast
called me thy vassal. Know now of a truth it hath irked me, and I am
thine enemy evermore."

Then Brunhild began to weep, and Kriemhild tarried not longer, but went
with her attendants into the minster before the king's wife. There was
deadly hate, and bright eyes gr