c, and had
believed himself to be serving Gunther without harm, felt remorse and
knelt beside the body. Hagen turned away and went into the hills,
while the vassals gathered about, prepared to take the body to the
hall of the Gibichungs. As the funeral procession moved off, to the
measure of wonderful music, the moon rose, its light flooded all the
valley, and touched the corpse.

Back at the hall, Gutrune had risen from sleep, believing she heard
some strange, threatening sound. First she went to Bruennhilde's door,
but she appeared to be asleep. Next she went to the entrance of the
great hall and listened, but she heard nothing; then after a little
she saw Hagen, wearing a fearful look, coming from the river's bank.
Something in her heart told her that a dreadful thing had happened.

"What misfortune has come to Siegfried?" she cried.

"They come--bearing his body," Hagen answered, looking upon the
ground.

_Scene III_

After Hagen, came the men bearing the body, and when Gutrune saw it,
she shrieked and fell upon it.

"Who hath done this wicked thing?" she shrieked, and Hagen looked at
Gunther.

"Nay," said Gunther, shaking his head angrily, "do not look at me. It
was not I who did this. It was that accursed man," and he pointed to
Hagen. Already the fight for the ring, in the hall of the Gibichungs
was beginning to divide brothers. "May grief and ill-fate be thine,
forever!"

"Well," said Hagen, "I admit the deed, and now I claim my
heritage--the ring of the Nibelungen!" He tried to take the ring from
the dead man's finger.

"Never shalt thou have it," Gutrune cried, flinging herself upon him.

"Away! What I have won, thou shalt ne'er make thine!" Gunther shouted.
"Dost think to grasp Gutrune's dower?" The two men fell a-fighting;
and Hagen, piercing Gunther's breast, sprang aside, while Gunther fell
dead. Instantly Hagen leaped toward Siegfried's body to snatch the
ring; but slowly, slowly the dead hand was raised threateningly, and
Gutrune shrieked out.

Bruennhilde, who now appeared, advanced toward the corpse, solemnly.

"Do ye who have betrayed me, now think to make that which is mine your
own?" she asked, looking at the company contemptuously, and speaking
in a grave voice. "Thou wert no wife of his," she said to Gutrune.
"Naught that was his is thine." Gutrune looked steadily at Bruennhilde,
and believing that she spoke the truth, she crouched down beside her
brother's body, and did not mov