my men,
for with all honour shall thy suit be heard."

Then said the faithful envoy, "My great lord commendeth his true service
to thee at the Rhine, and to all the friends thou hast. This he doth
with true heart. The noble king biddeth thee mourn for his loss. His
people are joyless, for my mistress, great Helca, my lord's wife, is
dead; whereby many high-born maidens, children of great princes, that she
hath reared, are orphaned. By reason thereof the land is full of sorrow,
for these, alack! have none now to care for them. The king also ceaseth
not to make dole."

"Now God requite him," said Gunther, "that he commendeth his service so
fair to me and to my men. I have hearkened gladly to his greeting. My
kinsmen and my liegemen will repay him."

Then said Gernot of Burgundy, "The world may well rue beautiful Helca's
death, for the sake of her many virtues."

Hagen and many another knight said the same.

But Rudeger, the noble envoy, went on: "If thou allow it, O king, I will
tell thee further what my dear master hath charged me with. Dolefully
hath he lived since Helca's death. And it hath been told him that
Kriemhild is without a husband, for that Siegfried is dead. If that be
so, and thou grant it, she shall wear the crown before Etzel's knights.
This hath my lord bidden me say."

Then the great king spoke courteously, "If she be willing, she followeth
my desire therein. In three days I will let thee know. If she say not
nay to Etzel, wherefore should I?"

Meanwhile they gave the guests good lodging. On such wise were the
entreated that Rudeger was fain to confess he had friends among Gunther's
men. Hagen served him gladly, the which Rudeger had done to Hagen
aforetime.

So Rudeger tarried there till the third day. The king did prudently, and
called a counsel, to ask his friends whether it seemed good to them that
Kriemhild should take King Etzel to husband.

And they all counselled it save Hagen, that said to Gunther, the bold
knight, "If thou be wise, thou wilt see to it that she do it not, even
if she desire it."

"Why should I hinder it?" said Gunther. "If any good fall to the queen,
I may well grant it. She is my sister. If it be to her honour, we
ourselves should seek the alliance."

But Hagen answered, "Say not so. Didst thou know Etzel as I do, thou
wouldst see that thou, first of all, must suffer if she wedded him as
thou consellest."

"How so?" answered Gunther. "Were sh