Page:The Nibelungenlied - tr. Shumway - 1909.pdf/294

236 thou she-devil, thou durst not make me suffer for the deed.”

Sore abashed was King Etzel’s wife, for bitterly she feared Sir Dietrich. At once she left him, not a word she spake, but gazed with furious glance upon her foes. Two warriors then grasped each other quickly by the hand, the one was Sir Dietrich, the other Hagen. With gentle breeding the lusty hero spake: “Forsooth I rue your coming to the Huns, because of what the queen hath said.”

Quoth Hagen: “There will be help for that.”

Thus the two brave men talked together. King Etzel saw this, and therefore he began to query: “Fain would I know,” spake the mighty king, “who yonder warrior be, whom Sir Dietrich greeteth there in such friendly wise. He carrieth high his head; whoever be his father, he is sure a doughty knight.”

A liegeman of Kriemhild made answer to the king: “By birth he is from Troneg, his father hight Aldrian; however blithe he bear him here, a grim man is he. I’ll let you see full well that I have told no lie.”

“How shall I know that he be so fierce?” replied the king. As yet he wist not the many evil tricks that the queen should later play upon her kin, so that she let none escape from the Huns alive.

“Well know I Aldrian, for he was my vassal and here at my court gained mickle praise and honor. I dubbed him knight and gave him of my gold. The faithful Helca loved him inly. Therefore I have since known Hagen every whit. Two stately youths became my hostages, he and Walther of Spain. Here they grew