he keen-eyed,
coming into the hall, saw her tears.

'Gracious lady, wherefore dost thou weep?' he asked.

'I weep for anger,' said Brunhild, and she told Hagen the foolish
words which Siegfried's wife had spoken.

When Hagen had heard them he smiled grimly to himself. Siegfried, the
hero, nor his beautiful wife, should escape his vengeance now. And he
began at once to plan with the Queen how he might punish them. Well
did he know that Brunhild would do all in her power to aid him in his
plots.

Slowly but very surely Hagen drew Gernot and one or two warriors into
his schemes against the King of the Netherlands. But when Giselher
heard that the cruel counsellors even wished to slay Siegfried, he was
angry, and said bravely, 'Never has Siegfried deserved such hate from
any knight of Burgundy.'

But Hagen did not cease his evil whispers against the hero. He would
even steal upon King Gunther as he sat at his council-table, and he
would whisper in his ear that if Siegfried were not so strong, his
Burgundian heroes would win more glory for their arms, that if
Siegfried were not living, all his broad lands would belong, through
Kriemhild, to Burgundy.

At first, Gunther would bid Hagen be silent, and lay aside his hate of
the mighty hero. But afterward he would listen and only murmur, 'If
Siegfried heard thy words, none of us would be safe from his wrath.'
For King Gunther was weak and easily made to fear.

'Fear not,' said Hagen grimly, 'Siegfried shall never hear of our
plots. Leave the matter to me. I will send for two strange heralds to
come to our land. They shall pretend that they have come from our old
enemies, Ludegast and Ludeger, and they shall challenge us to battle
once again.'

'When Siegfried hears that thou must go forth to fight, he will even
as afore-time offer to go for thee against the foe. Then, methinks,
shall I learn the secret of the great warrior's strength from
Kriemhild, ere he set out, as she will believe he must do, for the
battlefield.'

And Gunther listened and feared to gainsay the words of his wicked
counsellor, also he thought of the great treasure, and longed that he
might possess it.

CHAPTER XV

SIEGFRIED IS SLAIN

Hagen did not delay to carry out his wicked plot. Four days later,
thirty-two strangers rode into Rhineland, and demanded to see King
Gunther. These were the men who had been hired by the counsellor to
bring false tidings of battle.

When the heralds s