Said she, "Now say, Sir Hagan, who has sent for you, That you have dar'd hither to come with yonder crew? And yet you must remember all you have done to me. Had you been in your senses, you'd sure have let it be." XXXI "'Tis true," straight answer'd Hagan, "no one sent for me. To this land were invited royal brethren three; My lords are those three brethren, and their man am I, And courts they seldom visit but Hagan must be by." XXXII Said she, "Now tell me further, why did you that ill deed, That my undying hatred has won you, fitting meed? 'Twas you that did Sir Siegfried, my noble husband, slay, For whom must I for ever weep to my dying day." XXXIII Said he, "Why question further? That were a waste of breath. In a word, I am e'en Hagan, who Siegfried did to death. How dearly paid the warrior, the best good knights among, For all fair Brunhild suffer'd from Lady Kriemhild's tongue! XXXIV "What I have done, proud princess, I never will deny. The cause of all the mischief, the wrong, the loss, am I. So now, or man, or woman, revenge it who so will; I scorn to speak a falsehood, I've done you grievous ill." XXXV Said she, "You hear it, warriors, how he confesses all, All the wrong he did me; what thence may him befall, To me it nothing matters, ye knights, King Etzel's best!" The haughty Huns stood doubting, and each look'd on the rest. XXXVI Whate'er had then befallen, had once the strife begun, Sure had those two companions the palm of knighthood won; Well had they prov'd their valor in many a field before. The Huns their high adventure perforce through fear gave o'er. XXXVII Thus spake one of the warriors, "Why look ye so on me? From this foolish promise at once I'll set me free. No gifts shall ever move me to lose my precious life. The queen misleads us merely; trust not King Etzel's wife." XXXVIII "Ay, friend!" rejoin'd another, "I'm in the self-same case; Yonder large-lim'b minstrel never would I face, No, not if one would give me whole towers of good red gold. Mark his sharp, quick glances; he's wary as he's bold. XXXIX "Well know I, too, Sir Hagan, e'en from his youthful days, And so can well give credence when others speak his praise. In two and twenty battles I've seen him sway the strife; That arm of his, believe me, has widow'd many a wife. XL "He and the valiant Spaniard many an adventure sought While here they dwelt with Etzel, and many a battle fought To the king's boot and glory; full oft they prov'd their might; All tongues must so much honor yield Hagan as his right. XLI "Yet then the hardy warrior in years was but a child; Now are they grave and grizzled who then were raw and wild. Now is he proved in counsel, a champion stern and strong, And eke wears trusty Balmung, which erst he gain'd by wrong."