"We are at peace with Romans and Allemanns," he said at last, cautiously; "and we Thuringians do not fear the might of Cæsar. But thou thyself, as I perceive, wast in the neighborhood when the battle was fought, and thou hast since then avoided the villages of the Catts, who, as thou sayest, are inclined toward the Romans. I do not ask thee to whom thou hast wished the victory."

"I give information without questions," exclaimed the stranger, proudly. "I have not taken Roman pay."

A ray of kindliness shot from the eyes of the Chief. "Thou art not an Allemann," he said; "from thy speech thou art one of the children of our gods, who dwell far in the east."

"A Vandal from the Oder," replied the stranger, hastily.

"It is a far way from thy native land to the battlefield on the Rhine, wanderer. Have thy people sent any warriors to the fight?"

"I came to the Rhine without any of my countrymen. A bitter fate has driven me from the halls of my home."

"A bitter fate is the work of God, or of the perversity of man. May thy heart not be oppressed by what has caused thee to leave thy home!"

The stranger bowed his head gratefully. "The anxiety of the guest is to please his host; forgive me if I seek to learn what makes thee so familiar with the stranger. I have heard in my home, from a song of the minstrels, that in my father's time a hero from Thuringia fought among the warriors of my people against the Romans, far south by the Danube: Irmfried was his name."

The Prince drew himself up in his seat, and said: "His hand lay with a blessing on my head; he was my father."

"He became a blood-brother to a warrior of my people. When the Prince departed from my home, he with powerful hand broke in two a Roman gold piece, and left the half behind, that it might be a token of friendship for later generations. If the half of the gold piece is thine, the other is mine."

He held the bright bit of gold toward the Prince, who rose eagerly from his seat, and examined the piece at the light.

"Keep silence!" he exclaimed, imploringly. "Let no one speak a word. Go, Hildebrand, and carry to thy mistress this token, that she may put it to the other half, and tell her to be alone when I bring the stranger to her."

Hildebrand hastened out; the host drew near to the guest, and regarded him with astonishment from head to foot.

"Who art thou, man, that bringest so high a greeting to our house?" then, joyfulling continuing, "There is no need to seek for a token; ever since thou hast passed the threshold thou hast stirred my heart. Come with me, thou hero, that thou mayest tell me thy name, where both halves of the secret token will be joined." He stepped hastily forward; the stranger followed.

In her chamber stood Gundrun, the Princess, holding both halves of the gold piece together. "Here are two ears from one stalk," she exclaimed to her husband; "what thou sentest me is King Ingbert's token."

"And he who kneels to thee, Princess," said the stranger, "is Ingo, son of King Ingbert."

A long silence followed this declaration. The lady looked shyly at the proud warrior, and on the noble countenance of the princely form, and bending low, greeted him, but the Prince exclaimed anxiously:

"Often have I wished to see the countenance of the hospitable friend, the illustrious hero of the race of the gods; my father has told me of the costly household and the powerful followers in shining armor. But far otherwise have the higher powers ordained our meeting. In the dress of a wanderer as a stranger suing for hospitality, I behold the great King, and fear is in my heart. The hour in which I behold thy face portends good. Yet methinks I show thee most honorably my trust."

"I do not come to thee and the Princess as a fortunate one," said Ingo, seriously; "I am a fugitive, and I will not by concealing my fate creep under thy protection. I am driven from my father's home by my own uncle, who, after my father's death, took the throne from his boy. Trusty friends carefully concealed me till I grew to man's estate; danger is my lot; the King's messengers have followed me from nation to nation; they offer presents, and demand my person. With a small body of faithful followers I fought with the Allemanns; their great kings were gracious to me; on the day of battle I led a troop of their people. Now Cæsar, proud of victory, seeks for him who would not submit barefooted. His power reaches to the castles of kings. I saw the messengers of thy neighbors, the Catts, riding to the Rhine, with tokens of peace, and I have therefore gone secretly six days and nights along the path of the wolves through their country: it was marvelous that I escaped them. It was fitting that thou shouldst know this before thou sayest, 'Be welcome, Ingo.'"

The host looked uncertain, and sought the eyes of his wife, who sat in her chair looking down. "What is honorable, and what my oath demands of me, that will I do," said Prince Answald at last, and the clouds passed from his brow. "Be welcome, Ingo, son of a king."

"Thou displayest a noble mind, Hero," began the Princess, "since thou dreadest to bring danger to the dwelling of thy hospitable friend. But it befits us to consider how we can at the same time show fidelity to thee, and guard our dwellings from danger. Far sounds the name of a king through the country, and many enemies lurk round a hero that is bereft of a crown; thou thyself hast painfully experienced it. Therefore I think that only caution can help thee and us to safety. And if I may venture to give thee my husband an honest opinion, it appears to me it would be well that thy guest should remain unknown in thy house, and that none should be made aware of his arrival but thou and I alone."

"Shall I conceal a worthy guest in my own house?" exclaimed the host, displeased; "I am no servant of the Cæsars nor of the Catts."

"But the King of Thuringia also likes to eat his repast from the golden dishes which have been prepared by Roman art," continued his wife; "beware of awakening the King's suspicions."

The guest stood immovable, and in vain did the Princess try to ascertain his opinion.

"It is difficult to conceal noble blood in a servitor's dress," objected Prince Answald.

"The Hero Siegfried also, whom the minstrel made mention of, worked, in the garb of servitude, behind the anvil."

"And at last cast the anvil to the ground, and the smith after it," cried the host.

"Speak, Ingo, thyself; how wouldst thou have us treat thee?"

"I am a suppliant," answered the guest, with self-restraint, "and it is not for me to contend as to how high or low thou rankest me among the companions of thy bench. I do not boast of my name, but I do not conceal it, and thou wilt not put me to common work."

"He thinks like me," exclaimed the Prince.

"Heroes always fear anything touching their honor," said the Princess, laughing. "What I ask is easily granted: only be pleased to wear for a short time the dress which we give to strangers in our house; in the meantime my husband will gain the goodwill of the people for thee. The war will not last forever on the frontier. Cæsar will not fail to have new conflicts; in a few months the noise will die away, and meanwhile we may succeed in gaining also the King."

"I will think it over before night," said the host, "for my wife is a prudent counselor, and I have often tried her advice. Till then conceal thyself, oh, Hero, by a humble demeanor; but believe me, with an oppressed heart do I long for the day when, in open hall, I can proclaim what thine and my honor demand."

Thus the men left the chamber of the Princess. In the evening, however, when the husband was sitting down on his couch, he exclaimed angrily: "It cuts me to the heart that I shall see him in the lowest place on the bench!"

But the Princess answered quietly: "First, prove whether he is worthy of thy protection, for the manner of the stranger is uncommon, and his destiny joyless; his secret we will conceal from every one, even from our child Irmgard."