Silence reigned within the hall; none gave way to grief lest the dying man’s last moments should be saddened. Sinking back on his cushions, the King clasped Ingeborg’s hand for the last time—greeted his friend and son with a parting glance, and sighing, his soul ascended to the All-Father. Great was the mourning for him throughout the kingdom; amid universal lamentations the good King’s mound was heaped above him, while scalds with sounding dirges glorified his memory. Chapter XX The Election to the Kingdom “To the Ting! To the Ting!” The message flies o’er hill and vale; the people are summoned to elect their King. Champions try their swords, vassals polish their lord’s helm and buckler till they shine like the sun. Thus with clang of arms the warriors assembled on the open plain. In their midst on the wide Ting-stone stood Frithiof, and at his side King Ring’s son, a fair child with golden hair. “Too young is Ring’s heir,” was murmured through the multitude; “no chief is he to lead us into battle, or sit in judgment on the Ting-stone.” But Frithiof placed the child upon his shield and held him high aloft, saying: “Northmen, behold your King, a vigorous offshoot of the fallen oak! Doth he not bear him well upon the shield? Hear now my vow: I swear to guard for him his Kingdom, till with his father’s circlet he shall one day here be crowned.” Then raising his eyes to heaven, he added: “Forsete, son of Balder, be my witness! O thou who judgest justly, strike me dead if e’er I break my word!” Meanwhile the King’s son sat on Frithiof’s gleaming shield, gazing about him proudly; but at length he began to weary of it, and with one bound sprang lightly to the ground. A shout went up from all the Ting: “Ha, that was indeed a royal leap! Aye, shield-borne, thee we choose to be our King! And thou, O Frithiof, who shalt guard his crown and kingdom, take Ingeborg, our Queen, to be thy wife!” At these words Frithiof’s brow darkened. “To choose a King are you come,” he answered; “my bride I woo of my own choice. In anger still doth Balder look upon me. ’Twas he that took my Ingeborg from me, and he alone can give her back to me.” Chapter XXI The Reconciliation No peace was there yet in Frithiof’s heart. As fire had once consumed the temple, so within him still blazed the flames of his remorse that by his act had Balder’s earthly dwelling been destroyed. Betaking himself to his father’s grave-mound he sat all night alone upon the cairn, beseeching Balder to smile upon him once again. And lo! in the darkness a wondrous vision grew before his eyes. In Balder’s Grove he saw a gleaming temple slowly rise; but scarcely had he gazed upon it in amazement, when again ’twas swallowed in the gloom of night.