t never again were the AEsir as happy as they were before the
women came to them from the Giants.

Gulveig was one of the Three who had blighted the early happiness of the
Gods. And, behold, she was in the cave where Andvari had hoarded his
treasure and with a smile upon her face she was advancing toward Loki.

"So, Loki," she said, "thou seest me again. And Odin who sent thee to
this cave will see me again. Lo, Loki! I go to Odin to be thy messenger
and to tell him that thou comest with Andvari's hoard."

And speaking so, and smiling into his face, Gulveig went out of the cave
with swift and light steps. Loki drew the ends of the Magic Net together
and gathering all the treasures in its meshes he, too, went out.

Odin, the Eldest of the Gods, stood leaning on his spear and looking at
the skin of the otter that was spread out before him. One came into the
dwelling swiftly. Odin looked and saw that she who had come in on such
swift, glad feet was Gulveig who, once with her two companions, had
troubled the happiness of the Gods. Odin raised his spear to cast it at
her.

"Lay thy spear down, Odin," she said. "I dwelt for long in the Dwarf's
cave. But thy word unloosed me, and the curse said over Andvari's ring
has sent me here. Lay thy spear down, and look on me, O Eldest of the
Gods.

"Thou didst cast me out of Asgard, but thy word has brought me to come
back to thee. And if ye two, Odin and Loki, have bought yourselves free
with gold and may enter Asgard, surely I, Gulveig, am free to enter
Asgard also."

Odin lowered his spear, sighing deeply. "Surely it is so, Gulveig," he
said. "I may not forbid thee to enter Asgard. Would I had thought of
giving the man Kvasir's Mead or Mimir's well water rather than this gold
as a recompense."

As they spoke Loki came into Hreidmar's dwelling. He laid on the floor
the Magic Net. Old Hreidmar with his sharp eyes, and huge Fafnir, and
lean and hungry-looking Regin came in to gaze on the gold and gems that
shone through the meshes. They began to push each other away from gazing
at the gold. Then Hreidmar cried out, "No one may be here but these two
kings and I while we measure out the gold and gems and see whether the
recompense be sufficient. Go without, go without, sons of mine."

Then Fafnir and Regin were forced to go out of the dwelling. They went
out slowly, and Gulveig went with them, whispering to both.

With shaking hands old Hreidmar spread out the skin that once c