"Unless be thou embrace my dear lady," spake then the king, "I
shall be glad, if thou do to her as thou dost list. I could
endure it well, an' thou didst take her life. In sooth she is a
fearful wife."

"I pledge upon my troth," quoth Siegfried, "that I will not
embrace her. The fair sister of thine, she is to me above all
maids that I have ever seen."

Gunther believed full well what Siegfried spake.

From the knightly sports there came both joy and woe; but men
forbade the hurtling and the shouting, since now the ladies were
to hie them to the hall. The grooms-in-waiting bade the people
stand aside; the court was cleared of steeds and folk. A bishop
led each of the ladies, as they should go to table in the
presence of the kings. Many a stately warrior followed to the
seats. In fair hope the king sate now full merrily; well he
thought on that which Siegfried had vowed to do. This one day
thought him as long as thirty days, for all his thoughts were
bent upon his lady's love. He could scarce abide the time to
leave the board. Now men let fair Brunhild and Kriemhild, too,
both go to their rest. Ho, what doughty knights were seen to
walk before the queens!

The Lord Siegfried sate in loving wise by his fair wife, in bliss
without alloy. With her snow-white hands she fondled his, till
that he vanished from before her eyes, she wist not when. When
now she no longer spied him, as she toyed, the queen spake to his
followers: "Much this wondereth me, whither the king be gone.