empty skin, and so
I was left alone in the forest. I began to long for the companionship
of men and women; but I was mistrusted; whatever I thought right,
others thought wrong, and that which others thought well of appeared
to me to be evil. Thus, in all my wanderings, I found no friend. In
truth my name is Wehwalt: Woe. I may never find love and kindness.
Foes wait ever upon my track. Since I am a wolf's son, who will
believe that I have loving thoughts?" Hereupon, Sieglinde looked at
the handsome yet sorrowful stranger with great tenderness.

"Tell us, guest, how thy weapons were lost?" Hunding insisted.

"Willingly I shall tell thee. A sorrowing maid cried for help. Her
kinsmen thought to bind her in wedlock to one she did not love; and
when she cried to me to free her, I had to fight all her kinsmen
single-handed. I slew her brothers and while protecting her as she
bent above their bodies, her people broke my shield and I had to
flee."

"Now I know you," Hunding shouted, rising and glaring at the young
wolfling. "I was called to battle with my kinsmen--they were your
foes! He who fought us fled before I could reach the battling place,
and here I have returned to find my enemy in my house! Let me tell
you, wolf-man, my house shall hold you safe for the night, since you
came here wounded and defenceless; but to-morrow you must defend
yourself, for I will kill you."

At that Hunding moved threateningly toward Siegmund, but Sieglinde
stepped between them, regarding Siegmund with a troubled face.

"As for thee," said Hunding to her roughly; "have off with thee! Set
my night-draught here and get thee to bed!"

Sieglinde took from the cupboard a box of spices from which she shook
some into the drinking horn in which she was making the night-draught.
All the while she moved about she tried to direct Siegmund's eye
toward the sword hilt which gleamed upon the ash tree; but Hunding was
not pleased with her and drove her from the room to her bed-chamber.
Then taking the armour from the tree he glowered darkly at Siegmund.

"Look well to thyself, to-morrow," he said; "for I mean to kill thee."
Then he followed Sieglinde to the inner chamber.

_Scene III_

Siegmund sat down, sad and lonely, while the lights burned out and the
fire flickered lower. The wolf-man with his head in his hands thought
gloomily upon his unhappy fate. Never was he to find friends, though
he was true and honest and meant harm to no man.

"I