[Illustration: "DAUGHTER OF THE GOD."]

"You see she cares nothing at all about heroes, but to her a promise is
a promise. And the Father of the Gods himself is very particular about
promises, as you must remember, so he is forced to say that he will not
help the hero. But that is not enough for her; he must command his
daughter not to help him. She shall not, he says, but that is not
enough; he must help his enemy and see that he wins. This is hard for
the Father of the Gods, for he loves the hero, and if he is left to
himself he must win, with his magic sword, yet he cannot choose; the
promise has been broken, and he gives his word that the hero shall die.

"The Father of the Gods is left alone, and again his daughter comes to
him. He tells her sadly that she must help the robber in the fight, and
that the hero must die. She is as sad as he at this command, for all
that she ever wishes is to do what he would have her do, and she knows
that, though he says that the hero must die, yet he would have him
live. But his word is given, and, full of sorrow, the god and his
daughter part. And now comes the hero himself, with his bride. She is
fearful of what may befall him in the fight, and would have him flee
farther away. He will not do that, and he tries to cheer her, till she
faints and sinks down at his feet. Then, beautiful and sad, but still
calm, stern, and placid, the Daughter of the God stands before him.

"'Soon,' she says to him, 'you must come with me to the castle of the
gods. There the Father of the Gods will welcome you, there your own
father, whom you lost so long ago, waits for you, there you will fight
and feast with heroes, and the daughters of the god will serve you.'

"'And shall this woman here,' he asks, 'whom I love, go with me and