"God guerdon them!" said Siegfried; "I put my trust alway In their love and their faith true-hearted, as friend with friend doth aye: This doth withal their sister. Now shall ye further tell If our friends in their far-off homeland be merry, and all go well. Since the day that we parted from them, hath any evil been done By a foe to my Lady's brethren? Concerning this say on. In loyal faith will I help them aye to the uttermost. Of my service to these shall foemen learn to their bitter cost." {P. 102} Answered the Lord of the Marches, Gere, a right good knight: "In chivalry and in joyance be all things going aright; And they bid you now unto Rhineland to a glorious festal-tide. Glad shall they be to behold you, hereof be ye certified. They beseech my Lady Kriemhild withal that she come with thee So soon as the feet of the winter from the face of the spring shall flee. Or ever the summer waneth full fain would they look upon you." Answered Siegfried the mighty, "Not lightly this may I do!" But Gere the earl Burgundian spake on furthermore: "Nay also Uta your mother beseecheth you very sore, And Giselher and Gernot: ye may not say them nay. That ye dwell so far from their faces is their sorrow day by day. Brunhild withal my Lady and her maidens in bower and hall Rejoice over this my message; and if haply it might befall That they look once more on your faces, heart-uplifted they were." Then exceeding glad for the tidings was Kriemhild the loving and fair. Now the Queen's near kinsman was Gere, and the King bade seat him on high, And pour them the wine of welcome; no more might they put it by. Thither withal came Siegmund, and rejoiced their faces to see; And the old king lovingly greeted the heralds of Burgundy: "Welcome to us, ye liegemen of Gunther, knight and thane! Behold, forasmuch as Siegfried my son to wife hath ta'en Kriemhild, the great King's sister, more oft should we see you thus Guests in our land, if closer ye would knit up friendship with us." And they cried, whensoe'er it should please him, with joyful hearts would they come. From their limbs was weariness banished, by gladness stolen therefrom. Then the horns blew up to the banquet, and they feasted with all good cheer, For Siegfried had bidden lavish the best upon friends so dear. {P. 103}