“At the well-known touch of my hands all the locks and bolts were at once opened; the mirror was revealed, and shone brightly, with its own supernatural light. I leaned it against the stem of an oak-tree, and, according to the warning voice of my dream, demanded what had been the crimes of Sir Hugur? “What I then beheld I need not repeat to thee; thou know’st it already from the lips of the wise armourer, Asmandur, who has described to thee the fate of the beautiful Astrid, and even repeated the songs in which she took her last farewell of the stern champion of the North.” Hereupon, Sir Otto and Hildiridur both wept bitterly, and for a long while they remained silent, and gazing on each other. At length the lady began to speak as follows:-- “In the mirror I beheld also a beautiful boy, who is now changed into the wild reckless Ottur, for he was the son of Sir Hugur and the beautiful Astrid. That thy half-brother should resemble thee so nearly is not to be thought mysterious; for scarcely could his mother and thine be distinguished from each other. I was still weeping before the mirror, because I beheld therein how the boy turned away in mingled wrath and terror from his father, who, in the presence of the old knight, had dipped a spear in my sister’s blood, when, lo! the stern Sir Hugur himself stood suddenly behind me. The red light of the morning, which had just then begun to break, shone on his visage, distorted by wrath, and in a thundering voice he exclaimed, ‘Thou hast then given thyself up again to thy witchcraft and incantations; but although thou hast forgotten thine obedience, I shall not forget the vows that I have sworn. Prepare then for death!’ With these words, he drew his sword, that gleamed like a flame in the morning light; and that sword, dearest son, was the same which thou wearest at this moment, and to which, as thou said’st, thou hast given the name of Ottur.”