the provisions I
have in the house."

"Do not forget the wine," called out Haduwalt.

As she glided away like a softly rustling wave, Liuthari sprang up
impetuously.

"Stay, oh, stay!" cried he hastily, following her a step or two.

But Haduwalt held him firmly by the mantle.

"She did not hear it; thanks be to the gods."

Liuthari violently set himself free.

"She _must_ hear that I"----Then he calmed himself, and pressed his
right hand to his brow.

"Now--now--now--_now!_" said the old man slowly, with long pauses. "Has
young Liuthari now for the first time seen the thing called woman, who,
instead of a man's breastplate, carries a child at her breast? I truly
feared that the Runic spell had quite bewitched thee; for in the wine
there was no magic. _I_ feel nothing peculiar in _me_. The witchcraft
began as soon as thou didst see that white face. What? thou wilt follow
her? Halt there! How vexed I am that I have forgotten all the furious,
loud-sounding, bad names with which Hadumar, my father, scolded me when
he caught me as I was climbing into the neighbour's garden to steal the
sweet pears that the Romans had grafted on to the wild pears of the
Illara forest. He thrashed me soundly; but the caressing words have
escaped me--it is so long ago. 'Thou pilferer! thou pear-stealer! thou
sluggard! thou sneak!' These were some of the most tender. And now I
could use them all admirably. Why starest thou thus speechless,
senseless, after another man's wife? Is it such behaviour that the Lady
Lindgardis, thy glorious mother, has taught thee? Dost thou not
remember Adalagardis, thy bride?"

"Old giant! blustering, growling bear! that is enough of thine abuse; I
have had quite enough of it. Adalagardis my bride? She is but a name--a
wish of my father. Can I embrace, and clasp, and kiss a name? But this
woman is living flesh and blood. I felt the sweet warmth of her arm as
I touched it. Heat flashed through me. She is so beautiful--so
wonderfully, enchantingly beautiful! It is an elfin beauty. No, no;
words cannot express it. The goddesses of Walhalla are not so beautiful
as she. Where have I seen her equal?" continued he dreamily. "It was, I
think, under a warmer, fairer sky! Ah, yes; now I see it clearly. In
the service of the Emperor, I was sailing from Byzantium through the
blue Grecian seas. There, on an island covered with myrtle and laurel,
stood the white form of a Grecian goddess. I was affected then almost
a