“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。
