t disturb your
feasts."

Ortrud's policy is completely successful; this last imputation is
intolerable to the generous girl, made even more tender-hearted
than wont by her overflowing happiness. "What mean sense of Thy
mercies would I be showing," she cries, "All-powerful, who have
so greatly blessed me, should I repulse the wretched bowed before
me in the dust! Oh, nevermore! Ortrud, wait for me! I myself will
come down and let you in!"

She hurries indoors. Ortrud has gained what she wanted, intimate
access to the young Duchess's ear, that she may pour her poison
into it. She has a moment's joy of triumph, while the fair dupe
is hastening down to her within. We discover at this point that
she is no Christian like the rest; that the secret gods of the
secret sorceress are the old superseded ones, Wotan and Freia.
For that reason it was the Silver Knight did not impress her as
he did the others. She could not admit that he came from God, the
false god whose name we heard her pronounce with such unconcealable
scorn; but, herself a witch, supposed that he performed the feat
through wizardry. She had explained the phenomenon to her husband
in good faith; she believed what she said, that were he forced
to tell his name, or might a shred of flesh be torn from him, he
would stand before them undisguised, shorn of his magic power.
Wild with evil joy at the success of her acting, she calls upon
her desecrated gods to help her further against the apostates.
"Wotan, strong god, I appeal to you! Freia, highest goddess, hear
me! Vouchsafe your blessing upon my deceit and hypocrisy, that
I may happily accomplish my vengeance!"

At the sound of Elsa's voice calling: "Ortrud, where are you?"
she assumes the last abjectness. "Here!" she replies, cowering
upon the earth. "Here at your feet!" Simple Elsa's heart melts
at the sight, really out of all reason soft, out of all reason
unsuspecting. Yet she is infinitely sweet, in her exaggeration
of goodness, when she not only pardons, but begs pardon of this
fiendish enemy for what the latter may have had to suffer through
her. She eagerly puts out her hands to lift Ortrud from her knees.
"God help me! That I should see you thus, whom I have never seen
save proud and magnificent! Oh, my heart will choke me to behold
you in so humble attitude. Rise to your feet! Spare me your
supplications! The hate you have borne me I forgive you, and I
pray you to forgive me too whatever you have had