A miracle! A miracle!"

Elsa stands transfixed, not daring to look around; but her women
look, and hail the approaching figure as that of the prayed-for
champion. Amazement at sight of him strikes Telramund dumb. Ortrud
upon a glance at the swan wears for one startled moment an expression
of unconcealable fear. He stands, the stranger, leaning on his
sword, in the swan-drawn boat; adorned with that excess of lovely
attribute not looked for save in figures of dream or of legend,
knightly in one and archangelic, with his flashing silver mail
and flowing locks and unearthly beauty. As the boat draws to land
all involuntarily bare their heads. Elsa at last finds hardihood
to turn; a cry of rapturous recognition breaks from her lips.

He steps ashore. All in spell-bound attention watch for his first
action, his first words. These are for the swan, and contain not
much enlightenment for the breathless listeners. "Receive my thanks,
beloved swan. Return across the wide flood yonder from whence you
brought me. When you come back, let it be to our joy! Faithfully
fulfil your service. Farewell, farewell, my beloved swan!" The
mysterious bird slowly draws away from shore and breasts the river
in the direction from whence it came. The Knight looks after the
diminishing form with such effect of regret as would accompany
the departure of a cherished friend.

Voices of wonder pass from person to person; wonder at his impressive
beauty, and at themselves for the not unpleasant terror it inspires,
the spell it casts over them. He turns at last and advancing toward
the King salutes him; "Hail, King Henry! God's blessing stand by
your sword! Your great and glorious name shall never pass from
earth!" The King, who from his throne beneath the oak has been
able to watch the stranger from the moment of his entering the
story, is not of two minds concerning so luminous an apparition.
"If I rightly recognise the power," he speaks, "which has brought
you to this land, you come to us sent by God?"--"I am sent," replies
the Knight, "to do battle for a maid against whom a dark accusation
has been brought. Let me see now if I shall tell her from among
the rest." With but a passing glance at the group of women,
unhesitatingly he singles out Elsa, undistinguishable from the
others by any sign of rank. "Speak, then, Elsa von Brabant! If I
am chosen as your champion, will you without doubt or fear entrust
yourself to my protection?" Elsa, who from