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"Do not sorrow, friend," said Ingo, imploringly, "for I do not fear that the enemy will succeed in killing me; if the cold snow whirls about me, my heart is glad, for I have confidence in thee whom I care for. By night and by day it will be my thought how I can win thee."

"He whom the father is angry with, and whom the mother hates, loves the child: can there be greater sorrow on earth?" said Irmgard, sadly.

He embraced her, and said tenderly, "Conceal thy love before others, as the tree conceals its strength in the earth when the summer passes away. Now the wild power of the winter-giant rages around us; the riches of the fields are covered with a white hearse-cloth. Do thou, friend, also bear quietly the icy burden. When the buds burst, and the young green sprouts from the earth, then look out at the spring sun, and listen for the song of the wild swans as they pass through the air."

"I will keep my secret and wait," answered Irmgard, solemnly; "but do thou remember, when the storm rages about thy head, that I am lamenting and calling to thee; and when the soft sun laughs upon thee, that I weep for thee."

She tore a ribbon from her dress, and tied it round his arm. "Thus I bind thee to me, that thou mayest know that thou belongest to me, as I do to thee;" and she threw her arms round his neck, and held him in a firm embrace.

Near them sounded the discordant cry of a bird of prey. "The watchman warns us that thou must depart from me," exclaimed Ingo. "Bless me, Irmgard, that my journey may be prosperous for thee and me." He bent his head under her hands, but she held her arms around him, moved her fingers, and whispered the blessing. Then he embraced her once more, with the deep sorrow of parting, and sprang upward into the pine forest. Irmgard stood again alone betwixt rock and forest, and around her blew the winter snow.

Late in the morning the Vandals rode from Rothari's house; among them was Ingo, in an exalted state of mind, although silent, for his thoughts flew back to the lady in the Prince's house. About midday they came to the village that is called in the country "the free moor," where stood Bero's residence. The sun shone brightly on the white covering of the earth, and the rime glittered on the heads of the willows. The bridge over the village ditch was adorned with green pine branches, and near the watchman's house stood the country people, in festive attire, and in front of them Bero and his six sons, strong young men, with powerful limbs and large hands. Bero exclaimed, "We are the last of the district comrades who dwell along your road, and we hope to keep you warm under our thatched roofs till you ride into a foreign country!" The horsemen dismounted joyfully, and walked among the country people in the village. "We divide hospitality among us," continued Bero, "that every one of the neighbors may have the honor of a guest-friend; and if it please the young fellows, we will, after the repast, have a dance with our boys and maidens in a spacious room, or on a well-swept barn floor, as is our custom." Then he himself took the bridle of Ingo's horse, and led his noble guest through the open gate of the courtyard. While his sons unsaddled the horses, and provided them with corn, the heroes stepped in front of the house, on whose threshold Frida's mother, with her maidens, awaited the stranger, and offered her sunburned hand. Upon the firm clay floor of the broad hall stood a table, ready laid, with wooden chairs round it; from the raised gallery in the background, blue-eyed, flaxen-headed children peeped out, and when the guests smiled at them, concealed their heads shyly behind the balustrade. "Call the guests to the repast," said the peasant to his wife, "and bring the best that you can, for they are accustomed to princely fare." Ingo invited the hostess to sit by him, but she declined, and carried the dishes up and down herself. "That appears to me a good custom," declared Bero, "for the eyes of the hostess see quickest what is wanting to the guests, and besides, it would sometimes be troublesome to the host for the servants to hear the conversation."

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