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Anything but this! Never to see Valhalla? Never to ride with the Walkuere? Father! Father! Take back these words of doom!" Brunhilde's sisters began to plead for her. "Go!" he cried, "every one of you. Leave Brunhilde to me!" Frightened by great Wotan's awful wrath, they spurred their horses and dashed away to Valhalla. Slowly the storm clouds drifted away. The twilight came.
At times, she would be assailed by sudden recollections of triumphs on the stage, and on such occasions, setting the piano ringing with the sublime fury of the Valkyries' Ride, she would begin to shout Brunhilde's "Hojotojo," the impetuous, savage war-cry of Wotan's daughter a melodious scream with which she had brought many an audience to its feet, and which, in that deserted paradise, made Rafael shudder and admire, as if the singer were some strange divinity a blond goddess with green eyes, wont to charge across the ice-fields through whirlwinds of driving snow, but who, there, in a land of sunshine, had deigned to become a simple, an entrancing woman!
"Why does Brunhilde not come?" they asked of each other anxiously. "What has happened that she should be so late?" Loudly they called: "Heiho! hoyotoho! heiho!" Looking toward the valley, they saw Brunhilde riding fast. Her horse was flecked with foam. "Heiho! hoyotoho! heiho!" they shouted; and "Heiho! hoyotoho! heiho!" came Brunhilde's answer.
He stood and looked upon her sweet, heroic face, and love came into his heart. Bending low, he tenderly kissed her. Brunhilde slowly opened her eyes. She looked up at the blue sky and the smiling sun, and cried: "All hail to thee, thou glorious sun in heaven!" The flowers slowly opened their petals, the birds began to sing. Brunhilde's horse awoke and neighed his glad call.
To say nothing of Hunding's persecutions, she has to shield Siegmund, elope with him, climb beetling precipices, ride Brunhilde's fiery, untamed steed, confront die Walküren, and look on her slain lover, and, in addition to these prodigies, participate in a Graeco-Roman wrestling-match with an orchestra of sixty-five pieces for three hours and a half. Yet she is equal to the emergency.
Siegfried took Brunhilde's hand and put the ring upon her finger, saying: "This, Brunhilde, shall stay with you. It shall be a pledge of my love until I come again." Brunhilde gave Siegfried her swift horse. On it he should ride to great victories. Siegfried led the horse down the mountain. Every little way he looked lovingly back at Brunhilde.
Then Wotan kissed Brunhilde upon each eyelid, and she fell fast asleep. Gently he bore her to a mossy mound beneath a spreading fir tree. Laying her down, he looked long and lovingly upon her sweet, brave face. He drew her helmet close over her eyes, and laid her shield upon her breast. The flowers went to sleep. Brunhilde's noble steed lay down and slept.
Finding it difficult, he drew his sword and cut them. The shining armor fell jingling to the ground. The soft white folds of her woman's gown fell loosely about her. Siegfried started back and stared in silence. He trembled from head to foot. He pressed his hand to his fast-beating heart. "At last!" he cried. "At last! I know what fear is." At length Siegfried went softly to Brunhilde's side.
Brunhilde's fire sprang up suddenly round the outer walls, so that the scene was brighter than daylight. The tables were cleared away, and the wildest revels began. The Old King faded into the distance like a mountain-peak. A goblin seized hold of Walter and tore him round in the maddest fashion. The foxes had a corner to themselves; their dancing was evidently much admired.
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