ecret of thy ring that a man must forswear love for it?"
Alberich asked craftily.

"The secret is, that he who would be so rash would have in return
power over all the earth."

"What?" shouted the wretched Nibelung, "Well, then, since love has
forsworn me, I shall lose nothing by forswearing love. I need not
hesitate to use thy gold." Springing and clinging to the rock the
Nibelung tore the gold from its resting place, dived deep into the
river-bed and disappeared into the fissures of the earth. The mermaids
followed frantically, but he was quite gone, and with him the
beautiful gold, which till then had given only innocent pleasure to
the Rhein-daughters. As soon as the gold vanished, the sun was hid,
and the waters turned dark and gloomy. The waves began to grow black,
rough, and high, while the water sank, sank, sank, till only darkness
and a rushing sound could be seen or heard.

As the waves disappeared, a thick mist took their place, and soon
separating, became detached clouds, till at last the sun shone forth
again. As the cloudlets floated quite away a great mountain was
revealed. The water had given place to the surface of the earth, and
there, in the early morning light, lay Fricka, the Goddess of home and
domesticity, and Wotan, the God of War, who was Fricka's husband.
Behind them rose a great cliff and as the sun shone more and more
brightly a splendid palace could be seen rising into the clouds. All
its pinnacles sparkled in the sun's rays, while the river Rhein
flowed peacefully between the mountain peak whereon the palace rose,
and the hills where Wotan and his Goddess lay.

_Scene II_

Just as the sun arose, the Goddess Fricka lifted her head, and,
looking behind her, saw the palace. It gave her a terrible fright,
because it had not been there when she fell asleep.

"Look, Wotan!" she called loudly. "What do I see?" Wotan raised
himself at her call. He gazed and was spellbound with delight.

"Walhall, the home of the Gods; the home of the Eternals!" he cried.
"It appears as it did in my dreams."

"That which enraptures thee fills me with fear," Fricka replied sadly.
"Hast thou not promised to give my sister Freia to the Giants who
builded it for thee? Their task is done, and now they will claim their
reward. Hast thou no feeling? Thou art cold and cruel, knowing nothing
of tenderness and love!"

"How falsely thou accusest me," Wotan answered. "Did I not give an eye
to win thee, Fricka?" He