vil wise
bade Kriemhild stand: "Forsooth no vassaless should ever walk before the
queen."

Then spake fair Kriemhild (angry was her mood): "Couldst thou have held
thy peace, 'twere well for thee. Thou hast disgraced thee and the fair
body of thine. How might a vassal's leman (1) ever be the wife of any
king?"

"Whom callest thou here leman?" spake the queen.

"That call I thee," quoth Kriemhild. "Thy fair person was first caressed
by Siegfried, my dear husband. Certes, it was not my brother who won thy
maidhood. Whither could thy wits have wandered? It was an evil trick.
Wherefore didst thou let him love thee, sith he be thy vassal? I hear
thee make plaint without good cause," quoth Kriemhild.

"I' faith," spake then Brunhild, "Gunther shall hear of this."

"What is that to me?" said Kriemhild. "Thy pride hath bewrayed thee.
With words thou hast claimed me for thy service. Know, by my troth, it
will ever grieve me, for I shall be no more thy faithful friend."

Then Brunhild wept. Kriemhild delayed no longer, but entered the minster
with her train before the queen. Thus there rose great hatred, from
which bright eyes grew dim and moist.

Whatso men did or sang to God's service there, the time seemed far
too long for Brunhild, for she was sad of heart and mood. Many a brave
knight and a good must later rue this day. Brunhild with her ladies now
went forth and stopped before the minster. Her-thought: "Kriemhild must
tell me more of what this word-shrewd woman hath so loudly charged me.
Hath Siegfried made boast of this, 'twill cost his life."

Now the noble Kriemhild came with many a valiant liegeman. Lady Brunhild
spake: "Stand still a while. Ye have declared me for a leman, that must
ye let be seen. Know, that through thy speech, I have fared full ill."

Then spake the Lady Kriemhild: "Ye should have let me pass. I'll prove
it by the ring of gold I have upon my hand, and which my lover brought
me when he first lay at your side."

Brunhild had never seen so ill a day. She spake: "This costly hoop of
gold was stolen from me, and hath been hid full long a time from me in
evil wise. I'll find out yet who hath ta'en it from me."

Both ladies now had fallen into grievous wrath.

Kriemhild replied: "I'll not be called a thief. Thou hadst done better
to have held thy peace, an' thou hold thine honor dear. I'll prove it
by the girdle which I wear about my waist, that I lie not. Certes, my
Siegfried became thy lord."