ll looked
anxiously toward Wotan.

"How darkly Wotan broods," Loge thought, while a great gloom settled
upon all. A pale mist gradually enfolded all the Gods, as they stood
uncertain and troubled. Until that moment they had appeared young and
handsome, but now they looked at each other in fright.

"What aileth thee?" each asked of the other. "Do the mists trick us?"
Each stared at the other in horror, because all were growing old,
suddenly.

"My hammer drops from my hand," Donner muttered, weakly.

"My heart stands still," Froh sighed faintly.

"Ah! Know ye not the fate that has overtaken you?" cried Loge. "Ye
have not to-day eaten of Freia's magic apples; the Apples of Life.
Without them ye must grow old and die, ye well know. Without Freia to
tend the fruit, it must wither."

Reminded of what they had forgotten, the Gods started up in terror.

"'Tis true, 'tis true! We are fainting, dying! What is to be done?"

"Get the gold quickly from Alberich, and redeem the Goddess," the
tricky Spirit of Flame answered with decision. "That is why they have
taken Freia. Well those Giants know that without her and her apples ye
must die; thus they will overcome the good of the Gods. Ye must redeem
her before the evening comes, or ye all must die."

"Up, Loge!" Wotan cried desperately. "Down to Nibelheim with me. The
gold must be ours. Oh, death! stay thy hand an hour till We can buy
back our youth and everlasting life!" Loge interrupted him, narrowly
eyeing him:

"The gold belongs to the Rhein-daughters. It should be returned to
them."

"Cease thy babbling," Wotan shouted, "and get thee down to Nibelheim."

"Shall we not go through the river Rhein?" Loge craftily asked.

"Get thee through that sulphurous cleft," Wotan answered, pointing to
the deep fissure in the rock. "Swing thyself down and I will follow
thee." He no sooner ceased to speak than Loge swung himself into the
black abyss, and a frightful, sulphurous vapour arose from the
opening.

"Await us here till evening," Wotan charged the Gods and Fricka, and
he in turn disappeared.

As Wotan followed Loge into the abyss, such clouds of vapour arose as
to hide the Gods completely, and as Fricka called "farewell" through
the mist the earth began slowly to rise, showing the descent of Wotan
and Loge. Their passage through the earth was long and filled with
astounding sights. It grew blacker and blacker, but after a time they
saw the far-off glow of forge-fires