knows that the boy whom she used to love so long ago is not dead, but
is sitting here before her, and the hope comes to her that he may take
her away from this place, so that she may not have to be married to the
robber. Then she asks the stranger why he is unarmed, and he says that
he fought to rescue a woman from her enemies; he killed some of them,
but the others were so many that they broke his spear and his shield,
and he had to save himself from them, and so it was that he came to
this house.

"At this the robber grows red and pale with anger. He has heard of
the fight, and the men who were killed were his friends. 'Stay here
to-night,' he says; 'while you are in my house I cannot harm you, but
to-morrow you must go out and fight with me for killing my friends.'

"The robber and the woman have gone away and the stranger is left
alone. Sad and gloomy enough are his thoughts, for to-morrow he must
fight with the robber, and he has no sword, no spear, no shield. The
fire before him dies down, as our fire dies down too, for the moment,
and as all his hope grows darker and colder. And then, just as his life
and the world and the future seem blackest, the woman comes back. Why
should her coming bring him hope? He could not tell, perhaps, yet her
very presence cheers him; misfortune and death seem not so near when
she is by, and not so terrible, even should they come. He may not know
why it is, but I know, and so do you.

"She hastens to him and shows him the sword in the tree. She tells him
of its magic; he must be the hero to draw it out, she says, and then,
in the fight to-morrow, he must overcome his enemy and give her revenge
for all she had suffered from him. And how gladly he will do her
bidding! He seizes the sword and draws it quickly out of the tree,