pity.

"For I stripped thy brothers of their power on the sea and slew them;
and now, unknown to thy father, as though I had done naught before
counter to his will, I hold thee in the couch we share.

"Say, then, my one love, what manner of wish wilt thou show when thou
lackest the accustomed embrace?"

Signe answered:

"Trust me, dear; I wish to die with thee, if fate brings thy turn to
perish first, and not to prolong my span of life at all, when once
dismal death has cast thee to the tomb.

"For if thou chance to close thy eyes for ever, a victim to the maddened
attack of the men-at-arms;--by whatsoever doom thy breath be cut off,
by sword or disease, by sea or soil, I forswear every wanton and corrupt
flame, and vow myself to a death like thine; that they who were bound by
one marriage-union may be embraced in one and the same punishment. Nor
will I quit this man, though I am to feel the pains of death; I have
resolved he is worthy of my love who gathered the first kisses of my
mouth, and had the first fruits of my delicate youth. I think that no
vow will be surer than this, if speech of woman have any loyalty at
all."

This speech so quickened the spirit of Hagbard, that he found more
pleasure in her promise than peril in his own going away (to his death).
The serving-women betrayed him; and when Sigar's men-at-arms attacked
him, he defended himself long and stubbornly, and slew many of them in
the doorway. But at last he was taken, and brought before the assembly,
and found the voices of the people divided over him. For very many said
that he should be punished for so great an offence; but Bilwis, the
brother of Bolwis, and others, conceived a better judgment, and advised
that it would be better to use his stout service than to deal with him
too ruthlessly. Then Bolwis came forward and declared that it was evil
advice which urged the king to pardon when he ought to take vengeance,
and to soften with unworthy compassion his righteous impulse to anger.
For how could Sigar, in the case of this man, feel any desire to spare
or pity him, when he had not only robbed him of the double comfort of
his sons, but had also bestained him with the insult of deflowering
his daughter? The greater part of the assembly voted for this opinion;
Hagbard was condemned, and a gallows-tree planted to receive him. Hence
it came about that he who at first had hardly one sinister voice against
him was punished with general harshness