ntly refuses to credit Hagen's story, that her husband was
slain by a boar. She wildly accuses Gunther, who frees himself
from suspicion by denouncing Hagen. Without showing the least
sign of remorse, the dark son of Alberich then acknowledges
the deed, and, seeing that Gunther is about to appropriate the
fatal ring, draws his sword and slays him also. Wildly now Hagen
snatches at the ring, that long coveted treasure; but he starts
back in dismay without having secured it, for the dead hand is
threateningly raised, to the horror of all the spectators.

Next Brunhilde comes upon the scene, singing a song of vengeance;
and when Gutrune wildly accuses her of being the cause of her
husband's murder, she declares that she alone was Siegfried's
lawful wife, and that he would always have been true to her had
not Gutrune won him by the ruse of a magic draught. Sadly Gutrune
acknowledges the truth of this statement, and, feeling that she
has no right to mourn over the husband of another woman, she
creeps over to Gunther's corpse and bends motionless over him.

Brunhilde's anger is all forgotten now that the hero is dead,
and, after caressing him tenderly for a while, she directs
the bystanders to erect a huge funeral pyre. While they are
thus occupied she sings the hero's dirge, and draws the ring
unhindered from his dead hand. Then she announces her decision
to perish in the flames beside him, and declares the Rhine
maidens can come and reclaim their stolen treasure from their
mingled ashes:--

'Thou guilty ring!
Running gold!
My hand gathers,
And gives thee again.
You wisely seeing
Water sisters,
The Rhine's unresting daughters,
I deem your word was of weight!
All that you ask
Now is your own;
Here from my ashes'
Heap you may have it!--
The flame as it clasps me round
Free from the curse of the ring!--
Back to its gold
Unbind it again,
And far in the flood
Withhold its fire,
The Rhine's unslumbering sun,
That for harm from him was reft.'

The curse of the ring is at an end. The ravens of Wotan, perching
aloft, fly heavily off to announce the tidings in Walhalla,
while Brunhilde, after seeing Siegfried's body carefully
deposited on the pyre with all his weapons, kindles the fire
with her own hand. Then, springing upon Grane, she rides into
the very midst of the flames, which soon rise so high that they
swallow her up and entirely hi