r, who had braved the fiery flames, and in proof of this she
showed in triumph the ring from Andvari's hoard which she wore upon
her finger.

Now when she heard this, Brunhild was beside herself with rage that
she should have been thus tricked, and she went to her husband and
said: "Never again shalt thou see me glad in thy hall, nor hear me
speak words of peace and gladness within thy borders, for thou hast
deceived me, and art no hero as I thought."

And for many days after that Brunhild neither ate nor drank, but set
wide the doors of her bower and lamented, so that all folk heard and
marvelled.

In vain they tried to comfort her; she would not hear even the
soothing words of Sigurd, whom Gudrun had sent to her, saying
scornfully, however, as he went: "Give her red gold, forsooth, and
smother up her grief and anger therewith."

At length Brunhild sent for her husband, and bade him put Sigurd to
death, saying that she had vowed to marry the man who should come to
her through the fire, and, since this was now impossible, Sigurd must
surely die, that she might be released from her oath.

And at that Gunnar was sorely troubled, for he loved Sigurd very
dearly. But he said to himself: "Brunhild is better to me than all
things else, and the fairest of all women, and I will lay down my life
rather than lose her love."

So he sent for his brother and told him that he had made up his mind
to kill Sigurd. And Hoegni, his brother, was very loth, and declared
that such an act of treachery would bring great shame upon the land.
But Gunnar reminded him of the gold-hoard, and of how all would be
theirs if Sigurd were out of the way. And at length they determined to
incite their younger brother, Guttorm, to do the deed.

But Guttorm, in his turn, was unwilling until they mixed for him a
magic drink, which made him fierce and wild and eager for bloodshed,
so that he was ready for whatever might befall.

At midnight, therefore, Guttorm crept, sword in hand, to Sigurd's
chamber; but, as he bent over his pillow, he saw the bright blue eyes
of the young hero fixed steadily upon him; and he fled, for so keen
and eager were the eyes of Sigurd that few might look upon him. A
second time he went in, and again the same thing happened.

But the third time Sigurd lay asleep; then Guttorm took his sword and
drove it through his breast.

Wounded to death, the young man had just strength to raise himself,
seize his good sword and hurl