“My life, my happiness, my crown of victory!” cried Sir Otto, scarce knowing what he said; and, in the inspiration of the moment, he drank out the contents of the goblet which stood nearest him, not till afterwards perceiving that it was the golden cup of King Arinbiorn. Then some one touched him on the shoulder, and turning round, he perceived that it was Gerda, who, with threatening gestures, addressed to him some monitory words, of which he then understood not the import. Like a stream of liquid fire, the drink which he had swallowed now burned within him; at the same time he remarked, how Gerda had taken her place opposite to him in a corner of the hall. There she held the battle-axe of King Arinbiorn in her hands, while, by the motion of her lips, he could perceive that she was busily occupied in prayers or incantations. She made strange gestures too, as if she wrote upon or inscribed magic signs upon its iron head, though all the while her eyes were steadfastly fixed upon the Knight of Trautwangen. At last she came nearer, and placed the battle-axe by the sea-monarch’s chair; then stepped mournfully out of the hall. Meanwhile the songs of the minstrels and discourse of the guests became always more lively round the banquet-table. All seemed happy and contented with one another; while the heroic ballads and legends, thrown in by the wise harpers and bards, were like flowers and blossoms of that joy which was implanted in every breast. Meanwhile, Sir Otto’s feelings alone were discordant; and he, that should have been the gayest of the gay, was the only one of the party in whom the music that rose all around him awoke the most fierce and frightful emotions. Every word uttered by the minstrels excited him to wrath. Every shape around him was frightfully transformed; the very hall itself seemed changed; its roof contracted, and descended lower and lower, till he believed himself confined in a dreary chapel-vault. As he looked on Sir Arinbiorn, Sir Heerdegen, the Knight of Montfaucon, even on Bertha and his beloved Gabrielle, the features of all were horribly distorted. At last the vision of the narrow vault faded away, and he thought that he was gasping and swimming for life in the midst of a raging sea; that the waves were peopled by monstrous fishes, with human heads, which opened their vast jaws to swallow him alive. Especially there was among them one far more hideous than the rest, which had on his head a pair of great vulture’s wings, and in his teeth carried a death’s-head, whereon the scars of many sword-strokes were visible. “He has brought it from my father’s chapel!” thought Sir Otto; and then he recollected himself, and became convinced that the only one near him, who wore such vulture’s wings, was the brave King Arinbiorn, who sat with him in friendship and peace at the banquet. Soon after, however, he again thought that the sea-monarch might indeed prove as frightful an enemy as the spectre-fish which threatened him; and he