ed "Hail!" But Hagen stood silently
watching, planning Siegfried's ruin.

When the pair stepped ashore, Bruennhilde walked with eyes cast down,
full of despair and sorrow, while Gunther led her by the hand.

They reached the hall, where Siegfried and Gutrune stood to welcome
them, and the men hailed each other as brother. Gunther rejoiced that
Siegfried had won Gutrune for his wife, but Bruennhilde raised her eyes
to the knight, and beholding her own husband, the hero knight, she
gave a great cry:

"Siegfried here?" She became distracted with horror. But Siegfried did
not know her, and all her entreaties were in vain, since he was still
enchanted by the potion.

Suddenly the Valkyrie maid saw the Nibelungen ring upon Siegfried's
finger, and she pointed to it, trembling. Gunther, astounded by her
appearance, touched her.

"Regard thy husband, Bruennhilde," he commanded; but instead of heeding
him, she pointed to the knight.

"He is my husband," she cried, and Hagen at once demanded that all
should give heed to what she might say. He foresaw the downfall of
Siegfried, in her words.

"The one who won me, wore that ring," she said, pointing to it with
shaking hand. "He was the image of Gunther, then, and he took the ring
from me." Gunther looked at Siegfried and frowned while all stared at
the men and at Bruennhilde in amazement.

"It was he who wrenched the ring from me," she declared, pointing to
Gunther, "yet it is this knight who wears it." Gunther denied having
given or taken from her the ring, and Siegfried declared she did not
speak the truth. Gunther feared to have it known that he had not dared
the flame himself, for his bride, and yet he feared Siegfried had
betrayed his honour. There was confusion among the spectators who said
among themselves:

"Whose wife can Bruennhilde be?" But Siegfried, having quite forgotten
the woman he so dearly loved, declared that he had got the ring he
wore from no woman, but had taken it from a dragon, whom he attacked
in his lair, and killed. This was true, of course, but it was also
true that he had given the ring to Bruennhilde and under a wicked
enchantment had taken it away.

Hagen spoke next, seeing a chance to gain the ring for the Nibelungs:

"Bruennhilde, thou sayest it was Gunther who wooed thee, and that it
was he who took the ring from thee? Since that is true, Siegfried has
won the ring by some false deed. It must have been Siegfried who came
to thee in th