“See，“shesaid，pointingtoalineaboutfourinchesfromthetop，“thetreehasbeensawnintwolength-waysandthelidlaidon。Come，help。“
　　Thenshetookaniron-shodstaffwhichwehadbroughtwithus，andworkeditssharppointintothecrack，afterwhichwebothrestedourweightuponthestaff。Thelidofthecoffinliftedquiteeasily，foritwasnotpeggeddown，andslidofitsownweightoverthesideofthetree。Inthecavitybeneathwasaformcoveredwithapurplecloakstainedasthoughbysaltwater。Freydisaliftedthecloak，andtherelaytheWandererashehadbeenplacedathousandormoreofyearsbeforeourtime，asperfectashehadbeeninthehourofhisdeath，forthetanninfromthenew-felledtreeinwhichhewasburiedhadpreservedhim。
　　Breathlesswithwonder，webentdownandexaminedhimbythelightofthelamps。Hewasatall，spareman，toallappearanceofbetweenfiftyandsixtyyearsofage。Hisfacewasthinandfine；heworeashort，grizzledbeard；hishair，sofarasitcouldbeseenbeneathhishelmet，wasbrownandlightlytingedwithgrey。
　　“Doeshecallanyonetoyourmind？“askedFreydisa。
　　“Yes，Ithinkso，alittle，“Ireplied。“Whoisit，now？Oh！Iknow，mymother。“
　　“Thatisstrange，Olaf，sincetomeheseemsmuchlikewhatyoumightbecomeshouldyoulivetohisyears。Yetitwasthroughyourmother’slinethatAarcametoyourracemanygenerationsgone，forthismuchisknown。Well，studyhimhard，for，lookyou，nowthattheairhasgottohim，hemeltsaway。“
　　Melthedid，indeed，tillpresentlytherewasnothingleftsaveaskullpatchedhereandtherewithskinandhair。YetIneverforgotthatface；indeed，tothishourIseeitquiteclearly。Whenatlengthithadcrumbled，weturnedtootherthings，knowingthatourtimeinthegravemustbemeasuredbytheoilinthesimplelampswehad。
　　Freydisaliftedaclothfrombeneaththechin，revealingadintedbreastplateofricharmour，differentfromanyofourdayandland，and，lyingonit，suchanecklaceaswehadseenupontheghost，abeauteousthingofinlaidgoldenshellsandemeraldstonesshapedlikebeetles。
　　“TakeitforyourIduna，“saidFreydisa，“sinceitisforhersakethatwebreakinuponthisgreatman’srest。“
　　Iseizedthepreciousthingandtuggedatit，butthechainwasstoutandwouldnotpart。AgainItugged，andnowitwastheneckoftheWandererthatbroke，fortheheadrolledfromthebody，andthegoldchaincameloosebetweenthetwo。
　　“Letusbegoing，“saidFreydisa，asIhidawaythenecklace。“Theoilinthelampsburnslow，andevenIdonotcaretobelefthereinthedarkwiththismightyonewhomwehaverobbed。“
　　“There’shisarmour，“Isaid。“I’dhavethatarmour；itiswonderful。“
　　“Thenstopandgetitbyyourself，“sheanswered，“formylampdies。“
　　“Atleast，Iwilltakethesword，“Iexclaimed，andsnatchedatthebeltbywhichitwasgirtaboutthebody。Theleatherhadrotted，anditcameawayinmyhand。
　　Holdingit，IclamberedoverthestoneafterFreydisa，andfollowedherdownthepassage。Beforewereachedtheendofitthelampswentout，sothatwemustfinishourjourneyinthedark。Thankfulenoughwerebothofuswhenwefoundourselvessafeintheopenairbeneaththefamiliarstars。
　　“Now，howcomesit，Freydisa，“Iasked，whenwehadgotourbreathagain，“thatthisWanderer，whoshowedhimselfsothreateninglyuponthecrestofhisgrave，liespatientasadeadsheepwithinitwhilewerobhisbones？“
　　“Becauseweweremeanttotakeit，asIthink，Olaf。Now，helpmetofillinthemouthofthatholeroughly——Iwillreturntofinishthisto-morrow——andletusawaytothehall。Iamweary，andItellyou，Olaf，thattheweightofthingstocomeliesheavyonmysoul。IthinkwisdomdwellswiththatWanderer’sbones。Yes，andforesightofthefutureandmemoriesofthepast。“
　　IlaysleepinginmybedatAar，theswordoftheWandererbymysideandhisnecklacebeneathmypillow。Inmysleeptherecametomeaverystrangeandvividdream。IdreamedthatIwastheWanderer，nootherman，andhereI，whowritethishistoryinthesemoderndays，willsaythatthedreamwastrue。
　　OnceinthefarpastI，whoafterwardswasbornasOlaf，andwhoamnow——well，nevermindmyname——livedintheshapeofthatmanwhoinOlaf’stimewasbytraditionknownastheWanderer。OfthatWandererlife，however，forsomereasonwhichIcannotexplain，Iamabletorecoverbutfewmemories。Otherearlierlivescomebacktomemuchmoreclearly，butatpresentthedetailsofthisparticularexistenceescapeme。ForthepurposeofthehistorywhichIamsettingdownthismatterslittle，since，althoughIknowenoughtobesurethatthepersonsconcernedintheOlaflifewereforthemostpartthesameasthoseconcernedintheWandererlife，theirstoriesremainquitedistinct。
　　Therefore，IproposetoleavethatoftheWanderer，sofarasIknowit，untold，wildandromanticasitseemstohavebeen。Forhemusthavebeenagreatman，thisWanderer，whointheearlyagesofthenorthernworld，drawnbythemagnetofsomepreviousEgyptianincarnation，brokebacktothosesouthernlandswithwhichhisinformingspiritwasalreadysofamiliar，andthencewonhomeagaintotheplacewherehewasborn，onlytodie。InconsideringthisdreamwhichOlafdreamed，letitberemembered，then，thatalthoughathousand，ormaybefifteenhundred，ofourearthlyyearsseparatedusfromeachother，theWanderer，intowhosetombIbrokeatthegoadingofIduna，andI，Olaf，werereallythesamebeingclothedindifferentshapesofflesh。
　　Toreturntomydream。I，Olaf，or，rather，myspirit，dwellingintheWanderer’sbody，thatbodywhichIhadjustseenlyinginthegrave，stoodatnightinagreatcolumnedbuilding，whichIknewtobethetempleofsomegod。Atmyfeetlayabasinofclearwater；themoonlight，whichwasalmostasbrightasthatofday，showedmemyreflectioninthewater。ItwasliketothatoftheWandererasIhadseenhimlyinginhisoakcoffininthemound，onlyyoungerthanhehadseemedtobeinthecoffin。Moreover，heworethesamearmourthatthemaninthecoffinwore，andathissidehungthered，cross-
　　handledsword。Therehestoodinthetemplealone，andlookedacrossaplain，greenwithcrops，onwhichsattwomightyimagesashighastallpines，lookedtoagreatriveronwhosebanksgrewtreessuchasIhadneverbeheld:tall，straighttrees，surmountedbyastiffcrownofleaves。Beyondthisriverlayawhite，flat-roofedcity，andinitwereothergreatcolumnedtemples。
　　ThemaninwhomI，OlaftheDane，seemedtodwellinmydreamturned，andbehindhimsawarangeofnakedhillsofbrownrock，andinthemthemouthofadesolatevalleywherewasnogreenthing。Presentlyhebecameawarethathewasnolongeralone。Athissidestoodawoman。
　　Shewasaverybeautifulwoman，unlikeanyoneI，Olaf，hadeverseen。
　　Hershapewastallandslender，hereyeswerelarge，darkandsoftasadeer’s，herfeaturesweresmallandstraight，savethemouth，ofwhichthelipsweresomewhatfull。Theface，whichwasdark-hued，likeherhairandeyes，wassad，butworeasweetandhauntingsmile。ItwasmuchsuchafaceasthatuponthestatueofthegoddesswhichwehadfoundintheWanderer’stomb，andthedresssheworebeneathhercloakwasliketothedressofthegoddess。Shewasspeakingearnestly。
　　“Mylove，myonlylove，“shesaid，“youmustbegonethisverynight；
　　indeed，theboatawaitsyouthatshalltakeyoudowntherivertothesea。Allisdiscovered。Mywaiting-lady，thepriestess，butnowhastoldmethatmyfather，theking，purposestoseizeandthrowyouintoprisonto-morrow，andthereaftertoputyouonyourtrialforbeingbelovedbyadaughteroftheroyalblood，ofwhich，asyouareaforeignman，howevernobleyoumaybe，thepunishmentisdeath。
　　Moreover，ifyouarecondemned，yourdoomwillbemyown。Thereisbutonewayinwhichtosavemylife，andthatisbyyourflight，forifyouflyithasbeenwhisperedtomethatallwillbeforgotten。“
　　Now，inmydream，hewhoworetheWanderer’sshapereasonedwithher，sayingatlengththatitwasbettertheybothshoulddie，toliveonintheworldofspirits，ratherthanpartforever。Shehidherfaceonhisbreastandanswered，“Icannotdie。Iwouldstaytolookuponthesun，notformyownsake，butbecauseofourchildthatwillbeborn。NorcanIflywithyou，sincethenyourboatwillbestopped。Butifyougoalone，theguardswillletitpass。Theyhavetheircommands。“
　　Afterthisforawhiletheyweptineachother’sarms，fortheirheartswerebroken。
　　“Givemesometoken，“hemurmured；“letmewearsomethingthatyouhavewornuntilmydeath。“
　　Sheopenedhercloak，andthereuponherbreasthungthatnecklacewhichhadlainuponthebreastoftheWandererinhistomb，thenecklaceofgoldandinlaidshellsandemeraldbeetles，onlythereweretworowsofshellsandemeralds，notone。Onerowsheunclaspedandclaspeditagainroundhisneck，breakingthelittlegoldthreadsthatboundthetwostrandstogether。
　　“Takethis，“shesaid，“andIwillwearthehalfwhichisleftofiteveninmygrave，asyoualsoshallwearyourhalfinlifeanddeath。
　　Nowsomethingcomesuponme。Itisthatwhentheseveredpartsofthisnecklaceareoncemorejoinedtogether，thenwetwoshallmeetagainupontheearth。“
　　“WhatchanceistherethatIshallreturnfrommynorthernhome，ifeverIwinsofar，backtothissouthernland？“
　　“None，“sheanswered。“Inthislifeweshallkissnomore。Yetthereareotherlivestocome，orsoIthinkandhavelearnedthroughthewisdomofmypeople。Begone，begone，eremyheartbreaksonyours；butneverletthisnecklaceofmine，whichwasthatofthosewhowerelongbeforeme，lieuponanotherwoman’sbreast，forifsoitwillbringsorrowtothegiver，andtohertowhomitisgivennogoodfortune。“
　　“HowlongmustIwaitbeforewemeetagain？“heasked。
　　“Idonotknow，butIthinkthatwhenallthatjeweloncemoregrowswarmabovemyimmoralheart，thistemplewhichtheycalleternalwillbebutatime-eatenruin。Hark，thepriestesscalls。Farewell，youmanwhohavecomeoutofthenorthtobemygloryandmyshame。Farewell，untilthepurposeofourlivesdeclaresitselfandtheseedthatwehavesowninsorrowshallblossomintoaneverlastingflower。
　　Farewell。Farewell！“
　　Thenawomanappearedinthebackgroundbeckoning，andallmydreamvanishedaway。YettomymindcamethethoughtthatitwastotheladywhogavethenecklacethatDeathstoodnear，ratherthantohimtowhomitwasgiven。Forsurelydeathwaswritteninhersadandlongingeyes。
　　Sothatdreamended。WhenI，Olaf，awokeinthemorning，itwastofindthatalreadyeveryonewasastir，forIhadoversleptmyself。InthehallweregatheredRagnar，Steinar，IdunaandFreydisa；theeldersweretalkingtogetherelsewhereonthesubjectoftheforthcomingmarriage。IwenttoIdunatoembraceher，andsheprofferedmehercheek，speakingallthewhileoverhershouldertoRagnar。