Part 3 (2/2)
A state, beneath the incessant excite, of inexpressible unhappiness, lightened by e exaltation in the sense of his neer
We find hi his crunome brother Mime, like Alberich, wins some part of our heart on first acquaintance, which he later ceases to deserve; but in the case of Mime I think it is never wholly withdrawn, even when he is shown to be an unin with, so little, and he has a funny, fetching twist or quaver in his voice, indicated by the notes thehis present passion for hurting--he is haling Mime by the ear--is that the latter is oversloith certain piece of hich, with minute instructions, he has been ordered to do Mime, under pressure, produces the article, which he had in truth been trying to keep for his own, suspecting in it some mysterious value It is the _Tarnhelm_, a curious cap of linked metal Its uncanny character is confided to us even before we see it at work, by the motif which first appears with its appearance: afor some unearthly manifestation the mind pricked to disquieted attention by the weirdness of the air Alberich places it upon his head, utters a brief incantation, and disappears froht A column of vapour stands in his place
”Do you see me?” asks Alberich's disembodied voice Mime looks around, astonished ”Where are you? I see you not!” ”Then feel me!” cries the power-drunken tyrant, and Mie, while Alberich's voice laughs
Out ofdiligence and inspiring fear, he stors all, bow to Alberich! He can now be everywhere at once, keeping watch over you Rest and leisure are done and over with for you! For him you must labour His conquered slaves are you forever!” The s is indicated by their sudden distant outcry
Mi on the rocky floor
Thus Wotan and Loge find hi scene Wotan's very active vizier, furnishi+ng the invention and carrying out the stratageround and has little to say; but as the blue of his mantle and the fresh chaplet on his locks strike the eye refreshi+ngly in the fire-reddened cave, so his voice, with echoes in it of the noble upper world, co dwarf on his feet and by artful questions gets the whole story fros' woe
About the Tarnhele At the recollection of the stripes he has suffered, he rubs his back howling The Gods laugh That gives Mireat He is in his turn questioning the He runs hither and thither in terror and calls to the strangers to look to the!
Wotan quietly seats hi before hi Nibelungs, groaning under the weight of great pieces of gold and silver ses thefast or huer, kisses and lifts it coly over them, whereupon with cries of dis down the shafts, in feverish haste to be digging and delving
Heavy groans are in the roans so tragic and seriously presented that they bring up the thought of other oppressions and killing labours than those of the Nibelungs Theof riches, indicates such horror of strain, such fatigue, such hopeless weariness of heart and soul, that the hearer must think with sharpened sympathy of all that part of huainst the wheel
Alberich turns an angry eye upon the intruders: ”What do you want?”
It is then ly upon the sense: They have heard tales of novel events in Nibelheihty wonders worked there by Alberich, and are come from curiosity to witness these
After this siht-foot, volatile, gracefulconfidently upon his intoxicated conceit of power, his pride in the cleverness which had contrived ring and wishi+ng-cap, uses his should be in his hand
Alberich recognises in Loge an old eneh, you and your kind!” is perhaps, with its cheerful dancing flicker, his prettiest bit of self-description
”You know me, childish elf? Then, say, who am I, that you should be surly? In the cold hollohere you lay shi+vering, hoould you have had light and cheering warhed for you?”
But Alberich see him ”I can noever,” he boasts, ”defy you all!” and he calls to their notice the heaped riches,--the _Hort_
”But,” remarks Wotan, ”of what use is all that wealth in cheerless Nibelhei to buy?”
”Nibelheiood to furnish treasures and to keep them safe But when they form a sufficient heap, I shall use theood fellow, shall you accouest one of the iestive every tihts and stately circue Alberich hates him, hates them all This is his exposition of his plan: ”You who, lapped in balolden fist I shall catch you all! Even as I renounced love, all that lives shall renounce it! Ensnared and netted in gold, you shall care for gold only! You ihts in exquisite pastimes, you despise the black elf! Have a care! For when you men have come to be the servants of my power, your sweetly adorned women, ould despise the dwarf's love, since he cannot hope for love, shall be forced to serve his pleasure Ha ha! Do you hear? Have a care, have a care, I say, of the ars once cliht!”
Wotan, whose Olympian self-sufficiency is usually untroubled by what any mean other-personto his feet cries out a command for the blaspheht the words--his deafness perhaps it is which saves his life--Loge has called Wotan back to his reason Practising on Alberich's not co hireatly impressed by his cleverness, now induces hireater amazement the power of the Tarnhel the wearer at will invisible, but of lending him whatever shape he may choose Later we find that it has also the power to transport the wearer at pleasure to the ends of the earth in a e's incredulity to shaon, drawing its cuives all of its uncouthness, and never fails to call forth laughter, like the giants' tread As a further exhibition of his power, after full ht, he at the proes himself into a toad, which has but time for a hop or two, before Wotan places his cale snatches the Tarnhel under Wotan Loge binds hi prey between theh the pass by which they came
Then reoccurs, but reversed, the transforion of the stithies is passed, the little hae with Alberich reappear through the sulphur-cleft
”Look, beloved,” says Loge to the unhappy captive, ”there lies the world which you think of conquering for your own Tell me nohat little corner in it do you intend as a kennel for ers to the prettiest, heartlesslyinsult Wotan's cool voice reminds him of the vanity of this and calls him to the consideration of his ransoly inquires what they will have, he says, largely and frankly, ”The treasure, your shi+ning gold”