"If the King will graciously swear to me on his sword that the reason of my quarrel shall remain secret between us both, I will tell him the truth; for thy suspicions would be injurious to me, and I hope for benefit from thy good-will." The King raised his sword quickly, held the oath-finger over it, and promised. "Well, then, know, oh King, that the noble maiden, Irmgard, is dear to me, and that her father is angry with me on that account, as he has promised her in marriage to the family of the Hero Sintram."

The King laughed with much satisfaction. "Thou wast wrong, Ingo, though thou art an expert warrior, to desire the daughter of the Chieftain. How could the father give the hand of the daughter who is his inheritress to the disinherited stranger? The whole people would reproach him as mad; it would be insufferable that a foreigner should sit as Chieftain of the forest arbor. Nay, if the father himself should promise thee his daughter amid a circle of witnesses, I, the King, could never suffer it, and I should have to send my boys, horse and foot, in order to hinder you."

Ingo looked so fiercely at the King that he laid hold of his weapon. "Thou speakest hostile words to the exile. Much suffering have I borne as guest in the Chieftain's household, but it is difficult for the spirit of man to hear words of contempt, and I think that the noble mind of the King should not would the pride of an unfortunate one."

"I am better disposed toward thee than I ever was before," replied the King, cheerfully. "But dost thou still maintain a hope to overcome the anger of the father?"

"The Prince is bound by his oath, and the family of Sintram is powerful in the forest; the wife of the Prince, also, is of his kindred."

The King thumped upon his wine-mug, as was his wont when anything was in accordance with his wishes. "It would be most agreeable to me to marry the noble maiden to one of my men; it would not be welcome to me for the family of Sintram ever to get the property and treasures of the Prince into his power, for I know his malicious mind. But it would be most repugnant to me for thee, with the good-will of the father, to become his son-in-law; for as the scent of the honey entices the bears to the forest tree, so would the praises of the minstrel collect in thy court all combat-loving fists --- Vandals and other straggling men; and thou wouldst, as a ruler of Thuringians, soon become hostile to me, even if thou didst not wish it. Bethink thee of this," concluded the King, persuasively, filling with his own hand the glass of his guest. "Drink, Hero Ingo, and enjoy thyself. When the wolves banquet on the forest hearths, then let them extol the guest-friendship of thy sword, which prepares for them a rich repast; but do not think any more of befooling my Thuringians in the forest arbor by guest-banqueting."

"Then do thou also hear, oh King, the counsel of the stranger!" cried out Ingo, indignantly. "Do not thou think to marry the noble maiden to another man; for as long as I can move an arm, no other shall take her to his house. Already has Theodulf been stretched once in the grass by my sword; it was an accident that he escaped death: I bar the bridal path to him, and equally to any one of thy people."

Now the King laughed so loud that he shook with it. "The longer thou speakest, the more I love to hear thee, even though thou talkest defiantly to me. Thou thinkest after the fashion of a traveling hero, and I am confident that thou wilt show thyself so in deeds. Constrain the father, lay Theodulf, the bombastic fool, low in his blood, and carry off thy wife to the bridal bed. With all my heart I will give my aid that all this may be successful."

Ingo examined suspiciously the demeanor of the King, who sat so joyful before him, thinking that perhaps the wine had distracted his thoughts, and he said:

"The meaning of thy words, my lord, is concealed from me; thou praisest and blamest me for the same thing. How canst thou be glad to hear what appears to thee insufferable? and how canst thou help in a wooing which thou thyself wilt hinder, even if the bride's father does not do so?"

But King Bisino replied:

"Sit down again to thy drinking-horn. Much which brings a man to honor is thine, but the most difficult of all thou canst not gain. Thou hast not a king's skill. Thy thoughts hasten straight forward, as the hound on the track of the deer. But a king can not be simple-minded, either in his favor or his revenge; he must think of many things; he can not fully trust any one, and he must know how to use every man for his own advantage. Thus I would grant the noble maiden, Irmgard, rather to thee than to many others --- the maiden, understand me, but not her inheritance, and not the dominion in the forest arbor after the death of her father."

Ingo seated himself beside him, and bent his head obediently to hear further.

"Since I have been King," continued the other, "my authority has been insecure through the audacity of the forest people, and the power of their Prince, Answald; and long have I sought an opportunity to become their master. Therefore thou wast insupportable to me in the forest arbor, because thou mightest become a leader of their bands. And if thy Vandal brood were to be established round the Prince's seat, I should have to destroy thee as mine enemy, even though I were well-disposed toward thee. Bethink thee of that, Hero! Yet if thou gain the daughter by a deed of violence, as an enemy of the father --- as heroes are wont to do when their desire leads them to it --- the child inheritress will disappear from the house, and I need not fear that the dominion should pass to another race of Princes. Dost thou now understand what I mean, headstrong Ingo?"

"I desire the noble maiden, and not the Prince's seat in thy land. But it would be bitter to me that my wife should lose her birthright because she has married me."

"Leave that to me," replied the King, coldly. "If thou choose to take the woman with thee into a foreign country, I will be a good comrade on thy side; only thou must not compel me, as King, to maintain the right of the country against thee. Hero Ingo, see that thou gain thy wife by a daring deed, and I will extol thee."

"If thou grant me the wife, oh King, grant me also a castle or house, in which I can conceal her from pursuers," cried out Ingo, laying hold of the King's hand imploringly.

King Bisino knitted his brows, but at last there was an honest kindness in his mien as he answered, cautiously:

"My royal position again compels me to deny thee thy request. How can I resist the cry of the whole country, if I conceal thee? If I could help thee secretly, I would do it willingly, from meaning well to thee, but because it is useful to me. But do thou consider how I can help thee by counsel and secret deed. Only I can not open my treasure-house to thee; for I must keep armlets and Roman coins for myself, that I may obtain warriors in time of need."

"The great host of the people shows his graciousness when he distributes his treasures, or holds his King's shield over the oppressed. How will the King help me, if he deny me both?" asked Ingo, undeceived.

King Bisino screwed up his eyes, and nodded slyly. "The King closes his eyes as I do now: let that satisfy the Hero." Although indignant, Ingo could not help smiling at the broad face of his host, who squinted at him out of the corners of his eyes; and the King was pleased with his smile. "It is all right; and now cast off the cares that trouble thee, and pledge me --- for I would rather drink with thee than with any other, since I know that the young bear has no better hole to creep into than my cage. Therefore I will now confide to thee a secret. The Roman Tertullus has lately whispered to me divers things, and made a high offer, if I deliver thee to Caesar. And when thou camest hither I did not feel very favorably disposed toward thee; but now that I know thee as thou art, I would rather keep thee for myself."