t fortunate of heroes!

HOTHER. Ha! darest thou mock Hother?

LOKE. What disturbeth
A fortune which thy foe himself, which Skulda,
Which heavenly and subterranean powers
Establish with united strength?

HOTHER. Old dreamer!
Lend me a spear, and better right hand shall
Establish it than all the powers thou namest!

LOKE. I know thy state of mind and wretched project.
By Nastroud, that worst of fools, if Balder
Had not thine eyes with Asa magic blinded,
And hid each dagger, each abyss thou soughtest,
Ere now in mist thou'dst unreveng'd been lying!

HOTHER. What, has he hindered me, the noble, proud one!

LOKE. Yes, proud; for he despises thee.

HOTHER. Despises!

LOKE. And think'st thou he for sake of pleasing Nanna
Would e'er have deign'd to guard thee from destruction,
If he had much regarded Hother's anger,
And if thy love one grain of sand he heeded?

HOTHER. Bad art thou, Vanfred; all thy words are poison'd.

LOKE (incensed). Ha! Hother, thou reward'st in evil fashion
The friendship and the happiness I bring thee.

HOTHER. What happiness?

LOKE. But come, thy misery sours thee;
Know, I can straight assuage it!

HOTHER. And delayest.

LOKE. Know then at once, thou lucky son of Hothbrod,
The spear which sendeth Balder's soul to Haelheim.

HOTHER. A spear, a spear! 'tis all I--

LOKE. Is discover'd!
I knew, for I had read it in the planets,
Valhalla's battle-loving maids must seek for
The ne'er seen weapon, and prepare for slaughter
Its deadly point, and I--yes, I--seduc'd them,
The haughty three, to seek the spear.

HOTHER. Seduc'd them?

LOKE. And dost thou think they wish the death of Balder?

HOTHER. Ha, Vanfred! more.

LOKE. At first thou hadst not the right one;
Thy combat, friend, prov'd that. Near then had
Balder crush'd thee and my design. Aghast I saw him
Brandish the Jotun's bane--I'm well acquainted
With Balder's strength; but ha! the fool prov'd tender;
He saw thy bride, and spar'd thee. Then up mounted
My courage and thine own.

HOTHER (to himself). I blush: my courage!
(To LOKE). What, courage! I was raging--blind with fury!

LOKE. Courage of fury--I, by Hael, care little,
My youthful hero, which thine eyeball gleams with,
If thou seek vengence, and thine enemy falleth.

HOTHER. Who art thou--who? But speak; proceed; explain thee!

LOKE. Strong was thine arm, and strong 'gainst Jotun's armour
Was Rota's lance, but all too weak 'gainst