left hand,
and stood looking like an avenging angel as he spoke these words through
the tumult with awful calmness: "What seek ye, O deluded Northman? What
wouldst thou, sinful lord? Ye are indeed become heathens; and I hope
to show you, by my readiness for battle, that it is not in my right arm
alone that God has put strength for victory. But if ye can yet hear,
listen to my words. Biorn, on this same accursed, and now, by God's
help, shivered boar's head, thou didst lay thy hand when thou didst
swear to sacrifice any inhabitants of the German towns that should fall
into thy power. And Gotthard Lenz came, and Rudlieb came, driven on
these shores by the storm. What didst thou then do, O savage Biorn? What
did ye do at his bidding, ye who were keeping the Yule feast with him?
Try your fortune on me. The Lord will be with me, as He was with
those holy men. To arms, and--" (he turned to his warriors) "let our
battle-cry be Gotthard and Rudlieb!"

Then Biorn let drop his drawn sword, then his followers paused, and none
among the Norwegians dared lift his eyes from the ground. By degrees,
they one by one began to disappear from the hall; and at last Biorn
stood quite alone opposite to the baron and his followers. He seemed
hardly aware that he had been deserted, but he fell on his knees,
stretched out his shining sword, pointed to the broken boar's head, and
said, "Do with me as you have done with that; I deserve no better. I ask
but one favour, only one; do not disgrace me, noble baron, by seeking
shelter in another castle of Norway."

"I fear you not," answered Folko, after some thought; "and, as far as
may be, I freely forgive you." Then he drew the sign of the cross over
the wild form of Biorn, and left the hall with Gabrielle. The retainers
of the house of Montfaucon followed him proudly and silently.

The hard spirit of the fierce lord of the castle was now quite
broken, and he watched with increased humility every look of Folko and
Gabrielle. But they withdrew more and more into the happy solitude of
their own apartments, where they enjoyed, in the midst of the sharp
winter, a bright spring-tide of happiness. The wounded condition
of Folko did not hinder the evening delights of songs and music and
poetry--but rather a new charm was added to them when the tall, handsome
knight leant on the arm of his delicate lady, and they thus, changing as
it were their deportment and duties, walked slowly through the torch-lit
ha