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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/3714-h.zip b/3714-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9e0f3a9 --- /dev/null +++ b/3714-h.zip diff --git a/3714-h/3714-h.htm b/3714-h/3714-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6dfbb7a --- /dev/null +++ b/3714-h/3714-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4447 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> + +<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<TITLE> +The Project Gutenberg E-text of Undine, by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque +</TITLE> + +<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> +BODY { color: Black; + background: White; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; + text-align: justify } + +P {text-indent: 4% } + +P.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +P.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: small } + +P.letter {text-indent: 0%; + font-size: small ; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.finis { font-size: larger ; + text-align: center ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +</STYLE> + +</HEAD> + +<BODY> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Undine, by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Undine + +Author: Friedrich de la Motte Fouque + +Translator: F. E. Bunnett + +Posting Date: May 13, 2009 [EBook #3714] +Release Date: February, 2003 +First Posted: August 1, 2001 +Last Updated: June 9, 2006 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNDINE *** + + + + +Produced by Charles Franks, Greg Weeks, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines. + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<h4>There are several editions of this ebook in the Project Gutenberg collection. Various characteristics of each ebook are listed to aid in selecting the preferred file.<br />Click on any of the filenumbers below to quickly view each ebook. +</h4> + + +<table summary="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto" cellpadding="4" border="3"> + +<tr><td> + <b><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/18752/18752-h/18752-h.htm"> +18752</a> </b> </td><td>(Illustrated in Color)) +</td></tr> + +<tr><td> + <b><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2825/2825-h/2825-h.htm"> +2825</a></b></td><td>(Plain html file) +</td></tr> + +<tr><td> + <b><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3714/3714-h/3714-h.htm"> +3714</a></b> </td><td>(Plain html file) +</td></tr> + +</table> + + +<BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +UNDINE +</H1> + +<BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +BY +</H3> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +DE LA MOTTE FOUQUE +</H2> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN +<BR> +BY F. E. BUNNETT +</H3> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +CONTENTS. +</H2> + +<BR> + +<TABLE ALIGN="center" WIDTH="80%"> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">CHAPTER</TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> </TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top"> </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap00">DEDICATION</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">I. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap01">HOW THE KNIGHT CAME TO THE FISHERMAN</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">II. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap02">IN WHAT WAY UNDINE HAD COME TO THE FISHERMAN</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">III. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap03">HOW THEY FOUND UNDINE AGAIN</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IV. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap04">OF THAT WHICH THE KNIGHT ENCOUNTERED IN THE WOOD</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">V. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap05">HOW THE KNIGHT LIVED ON THE LITTLE PROMONTORY</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VI. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap06">OF A NUPTIAL CEREMONY</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap07">WHAT FURTHER HAPPENED ON THE EVENING OF THE WEDDING</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VIII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap08">THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IX. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap09">HOW THE KNIGHT TOOK HIS YOUNG WIFE WITH HIM</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">X. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap10">HOW THEY LIVED IN THE CITY</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XI. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap11">THE ANNIVERSARY OF BERTALDA'S NAME-DAY</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap12">HOW THEY DEPARTED FROM THE IMPERIAL CITY</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XIII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap13">HOW THEY LIVED AT CASTLE RINGSTETTEN</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XIV. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap14">HOW BERTALDA RETURNED HOME WITH THE KNIGHT</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XV. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap15">THE JOURNEY TO VIENNA</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XVI. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap16">HOW IT FARED FURTHER WITH HULDBRAND</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XVII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap17">THE KNIGHT'S DREAM</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XVIII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap18">HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND IS MARRIED</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XIX. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap19">HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND WAS BURIED</A></TD> +</TR> + +</TABLE> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap00"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +DEDICATION. +</H3> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Undine, thou image fair and blest,<BR> + Since first thy strange mysterious glance,<BR> + Shone on me from some old romance,<BR> + How hast thou sung my heart to rest!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + How hast thou clung to me and smiled,<BR> + And wouldest, whispering in my ear,<BR> + Give vent to all thy miseries drear,<BR> + A little half-spoiled timorous child!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Yet hath my zither caught the sound,<BR> + And breathed from out its gates of gold,<BR> + Each gentle word thy lips have told,<BR> + Until their fame is spread around.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + And many a heart has loved thee well,<BR> + In spite of every wayward deed,<BR> + And many a one will gladly read,<BR> + The pages which thy history tell.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + I catch the whispered hope expressed,<BR> + That thou should'st once again appear;<BR> + So cast aside each doubt and fear,<BR> + And come, Undine! thou spirit blest!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Greet every noble in the hall,<BR> + And greet 'fore all, with trusting air,<BR> + The beauteous women gathered there;<BR> + I know that thou art loved by all.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + And if one ask thee after me,<BR> + Say: he's a true and noble knight,<BR> + Fair woman's slave in song and fight<BR> + And in all deeds of chivalry.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +UNDINE. +</H1> + +<BR> + +<A NAME="chap01"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER I. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THE KNIGHT CAME TO THE FISHERMAN. +</H3> + +<P> +There was once, it may be now many hundred years ago, a good old +fisherman, who was sitting one fine evening before his door, mending +his nets. The part of the country in which he lived was extremely +pretty. The greensward, on which his cottage stood, ran far into the +lake, and it seemed as if it was from love for the blue clear waters +that the tongue of land had stretched itself out into them, while +with an equally fond embrace the lake had encircled the green +pasture rich with waving grass and flowers, and the refreshing shade +of trees. The one welcomed the other, and it was just this that made +each so beautiful. There were indeed few human beings, or rather +none at all, to be met with on this pleasant spot, except the +fisherman and his family. For at the back of this little promontory +there lay a very wild forest, which, both from its gloom and +pathless solitude as well as from the wonderful creatures and +illusions with which it was said to abound, was avoided by most +people except in cases of necessity. +</P> + +<P> +The pious old fisherman, however, passed through it many a time +undisturbed, when he was taking the choice fish, which he had caught +at his beautiful home, to a large town situated not far from the +confines of the forest. The principal reason why it was so easy for +him to pass through this forest was because the tone of his thoughts +was almost entirely of a religious character, and besides this, +whenever he set foot upon the evil reputed shades, he was wont to +sing some holy song, with a clear voice and a sincere heart. +</P> + +<P> +While sitting over his nets this evening, unsuspicious of any evil, +a sudden fear came upon him, at the sound of a rustling in the gloom +of the forest, as of a horse and rider, the noise approaching nearer +and nearer to the little promontory. All that he had dreamed, in +many a stormy night, of the mysteries of the forest, now flashed at +once through his mind; foremost of all, the image of a gigantic +snow-white man, who kept unceasingly nodding his head in a +portentous manner. Indeed, when he raised his eyes toward the wood +it seemed to him as if he actually saw the nodding man approaching +through the dense foliage. He soon, however, reassured himself, +reflecting that nothing serious had ever befallen him even in the +forest itself, and that upon this open tongue of land the evil +spirit would be still less daring in the exercise of his power. At +the same time he repeated aloud a text from the Bible with all his +heart, and this so inspired him with courage that he almost smiled +at the illusion he had allowed to possess him. The white nodding man +was suddenly transformed into a brook long familiar to him, which +ran foaming from the forest and discharged itself into the lake. The +noise, however, which he had heard, was caused by a knight +beautifully apparelled, who, emerging from the deep shadows of the +wood, came riding toward the cottage. A scarlet mantle was thrown +over his purple gold-embroidered doublet; a red and violet plume +waved from his golden-colored head-gear; and a beautifully and +richly ornamented sword flashed from his shoulder-belt. The white +steed that bore the knight was more slenderly formed than war-horses +generally are, and he stepped so lightly over the turf that this +green and flowery carpet seemed scarcely to receive the slightest +injury from his tread. +</P> + +<P> +The old fisherman did not, however, feel perfectly secure in his +mind, although he tried to convince himself that no evil was to be +feared from so graceful an apparition; and therefore he politely +took off his hat as the knight approached, and remained quietly with +his nets. +</P> + +<P> +Presently the stranger drew up, and inquired whether he and his +horse could have shelter and care for the night. "As regards your +horse, good sir," replied the fisherman. "I can assign him no better +stable than this shady pasture, and no better provender than the +grass growing on it. Yourself, however, I will gladly welcome to my +small cottage, and give you supper and lodging as good as we have." +The knight was well satisfied with this; he alighted from his horse, +and, with the assistance of the fisherman, he relieved it from +saddle and bridle, and turned it loose upon the flowery green. Then +addressing his host, he said: "Even had I found you less hospitable +and kindly disposed, my worthy old fisherman, you would nevertheless +scarcely have got rid of me to-day, for, as I see, a broad lake lies +before us, and to ride back into that mysterious wood, with the +shades of evening coming on, heaven keep me from it!" +</P> + +<P> +"We will not talk too much of that," said the fisherman, and he led +his guest into the cottage. +</P> + +<P> +There, beside the hearth, from which a scanty fire shed a dim light +through the cleanly-kept room, sat the fisherman's aged wife in a +capacious chair. At the entrance of the noble guest she rose to give +him a kindly welcome, but resumed her seat of honor without offering +it to the stranger. Upon this the fisherman said with a smile: "You +must not take it amiss of her, young sir, that she has not given up +to you the most comfortable seat in the house; it is a custom among +poor people, that it should belong exclusively to the aged." +</P> + +<P> +"Why, husband," said the wife, with a quiet smile, "what can you be +thinking of? Our guest belongs no doubt to Christian men, and how +could it come into the head of the good young blood to drive old +people from their chairs? Take a seat, my young master," she +continued, turning toward the knight; "over there, there is a right +pretty little chair, only you must not move about on it too roughly, +for one of its legs is no longer of the firmest." The knight fetched +the chair carefully, sat down upon it good-humoredly, and it seemed +to him as if he were related to this little household, and had just +returned from abroad. +</P> + +<P> +The three worthy people now began to talk together in the most +friendly and familiar manner. With regard to the forest, about which +the knight made some inquiries, the old man was not inclined to be +communicative; he felt it was not a subject suited to approaching +night, but the aged couple spoke freely of their home and former +life, and listened also gladly when the knight recounted to them his +travels, and told them that he had a castle near the source of the +Danube, and that his name was Sir Huldbrand of Ringstetten. During +the conversation, the stranger had already occasionally heard a +splash against the little low window, as if some one were sprinkling +water against it. Every time the noise occurred, the old man knit +his brow with displeasure; but when at last a whole shower was +dashed against the panes, and bubbled into the room through the +decayed casement, he rose angrily, and called threateningly from the +window: "Undine! will you for once leave off these childish tricks? +and to-day, besides, there is a stranger knight with us in the +cottage." All was silent without, only a suppressed laugh was +audible, and the fisherman said as he returned: "You must pardon it +in her, my honored guest, and perhaps many a naughty trick besides; +but she means no harm by it. It is our foster-child, Undine, and she +will not wean herself from this childishness, although she has +already entered her eighteenth year. But, as I said, at heart she is +thoroughly good." +</P> + +<P> +"You may well talk," replied the old woman, shaking her head; "when +you come home from fishing or from a journey, her frolics may then +be very delightful, but to have her about one the whole day long, +and never to hear a sensible word, and instead of finding her a help +in the housekeeping as she grows older, always to be obliged to be +taking care that her follies do not completely ruin us, that is +quite another thing, and the patience of a saint would be worn out +at last." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, well," said her husband with a smile, "you have your troubles +with Undine, and I have mine with the lake. It often breaks away my +dams, and tears my nets to pieces, but for all that, I have an +affection for it, and so have you for the pretty child, in spite of +all your crosses and vexations. Isn't it so?" +</P> + +<P> +"One can't be very angry with her, certainly," said the old woman, +and she smiled approvingly. +</P> + +<P> +Just then the door flew open, and a beautiful, fair girl glided +laughing into the room, and said "You have only been jesting, +father, for where is your guest?" +</P> + +<P> +At the same moment, however, she perceived the knight, and stood +fixed with astonishment before the handsome youth, Huldbrand was +struck with her charming appearance, and dwelt the more earnestly on +her lovely features, as he imagined it was only her surprise that +gave him this brief enjoyment, and that she would presently turn +from his gaze with increased bashfulness. It was, however, quite +otherwise; for after having looked at him for some time, she drew +near him confidingly, knelt down before him, and said, as she played +with a gold medal which he wore on his breast, suspended from a rich +chain: "Why, you handsome, kind guest, how have you come to our poor +cottage at last? Have you been obliged then to wander through the +world for years, before you could find your way to us? Do you come +out of that wild forest, my beautiful knight?" The old woman's +reproof allowed him no time for reply. She admonished the girl to +stand up and behave herself and to go to her work. Undine, however, +without making any answer drew a little footstool close to +Huldbrand's chair, sat down upon it with her spinning, and said +pleasantly: "I will work here." The old man did as parents are wont +to do with spoiled children. He affected to observe nothing of +Undine's naughtiness and was beginning to talk of something else. +But this the girl would not let him do; she said: "I have asked our +charming guest whence he comes, and he has not yet answered me." +</P> + +<P> +"I come from the forest, you beautiful little vision," returned +Huldbrand; and she went on to say:— +</P> + +<P> +"Then you must tell me how you came there, for it is usually so +feared, and what marvellous adventures you met with in it, for it is +impossible to escape without something of the sort." +</P> + +<P> +Huldbrand felt a slight shudder at this remembrance, and looked +involuntarily toward the window, for it seemed to him as if one of +the strange figures he had encountered in the forest were grinning +in there; but he saw nothing but the deep dark night, which had now +shrouded everything without. Upon this he composed himself and was +on the point of beginning his little history, when the old man +interrupted him by saying: "Not so, sir knight! this is no fit hour +for such things." Undine, however, sprang angrily from her little +stool, and standing straight before the fisherman with her fair arms +fixed in her sides, she exclaimed: "He shall not tell his story, +father? He shall not? but it is my will. He shall! He shall in spite +of you!" and thus saying she stamped her pretty little foot +vehemently on the floor, but she did it all with such a comically +graceful air that Huldbrand now felt his gaze almost more riveted +upon her in her anger than before in her gentleness. +</P> + +<P> +The restrained wrath of the old man, on the contrary, burst forth +violently. He severely reproved Undine's disobedience and unbecoming +behavior to the stranger, and his good old wife joined with him +heartily. Undine quickly retorted: "If you want to chide me, and +won't do what I wish, then sleep alone in your old smoky hut!" and +swift as an arrow she flew from the room, and fled into the dark +night. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap02"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER II. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +IN WHAT WAY UNDINE HAD COME TO THE FISHERMAN +</H3> + +<P> +Huldbrand and the fisherman sprang from their seats and were on the +point of following the angry girl. Before they reached the cottage +door, however, Undine had long vanished in the shadowy darkness +without, and not even the sound of her light footstep betrayed the +direction of her flight. Huldbrand looked inquiringly at his host; +it almost seemed to him as if the whole sweet apparition, which had +suddenly merged again into the night, were nothing else than one of +that band of the wonderful forms which had, but a short time since, +carried on their pranks with him in the forest. But the old man +murmured between his teeth: "This is not the first time that she has +treated us in this way. Now we have aching hearts and sleepless eyes +the whole night through; for who knows, that she may not some day +come to harm, if she is thus out alone in the dark until daylight." +</P> + +<P> +"Then let us for God's sake follow her," cried Huldbrand, anxiously. +</P> + +<P> +"What would be the good of it?" replied the old man. "It would be a +sin were I to allow you, all alone, to follow the foolish girl in +the solitary night, and my old limbs would not overtake the wild +runaway, even if we knew in what direction she had gone." +</P> + +<P> +"We had better at any rate call after her, and beg her to come +back," said Huldbrand; and he began to call in the most earnest +manner: "Undine! Undine! Pray come back!" The old man shook his +head, saying, that all that shouting would help but little, for the +knight had no idea how self-willed the little truant was. But still +he could not forbear often calling out with him in the dark night: +"Undine! Ah! dear Undine, I beg you to come back—only this once!" +</P> + +<P> +It turned out, however, as the fisherman had said. No Undine was to +be heard or seen, and as the old man would on no account consent +that Huldbrand should go in search of the fugitive, they were at +last both obliged to return to the cottage. Here they found the fire +on the hearth almost gone out, and the old wife, who took Undine's +flight and danger far less to heart than her husband, had already +retired to rest. The old man blew up the fire, laid some dry wood on +it, and by the light of the flame sought out a tankard of wine, +which he placed between himself and his guest. "You, sir knight," +said he, "are also anxious about that silly girl, and we would both +rather chatter and drink away a part of the night than keep turning +round on our rush mats trying in vain to sleep. Is it not so?" +Huldbrand was well satisfied with the plan; the fisherman obliged +him to take the seat of honor vacated by the good old housewife, and +both drank and talked together in a manner becoming two honest and +trusting men. It is true, as often as the slightest thing moved +before the windows, or even at times when nothing was moving, one of +the two would look up and say: "She is coming!" Then they would be +silent for a moment or two, and as nothing appeared, they would +shake their heads and sigh and go on with their talk. +</P> + +<P> +As, however, neither could think of anything but of Undine, they +knew of nothing better to do than that the old fisherman should tell +the story, and the knight should hear, in what manner Undine had +first come to the cottage. He therefore began as follows:— +</P> + +<P> +"It is now about fifteen years ago that I was one day crossing the +wild forest with my goods, on my way to the city. My wife had stayed +at home, as her wont is, and at this particular time for a very good +reason, for God had given us, in our tolerably advanced age, a +wonderfully beautiful child. It was a little girl; and a question +already arose between us, whether for the sake of the new-comer, we +would not leave our lovely home that we might better bring up this +dear gift of heaven in some more habitable place. Poor people indeed +cannot do in such cases as you may think they ought, sir knight, +but, with God's blessing, every one must do what he can. Well, the +matter was tolerably in my head as I went along. This slip of land +was so dear to me, and I shuddered when, amid the noise and brawls +of the city, I thought to myself, 'In such scenes as these, or in +one not much more quiet, thou wilt also soon make thy abode!' But at +the same time I did not murmur against the good God; on the +contrary, I thanked him in secret for the new-born babe; I should be +telling a lie, too, were I to say, that on my journey through the +wood, going or returning, anything befell me out of the common way, +and at that time I had never seen any of its fearful wonders. The +Lord was ever with me in those mysterious shades." +</P> + +<P> +As he spoke he took his little cap from his bald head, and remained +for a time occupied with prayerful thoughts; he then covered himself +again, and continued:— +</P> + +<P> +"On this side the forest, alas! a sorrow awaited me. My wife came to +meet me with tearful eyes and clad in mourning. 'Oh! Good God!' I +groaned, 'where is our dear child? speak!'—'With him on whom you +have called, dear husband,' she replied; and we now entered the +cottage together weeping silently. I looked around for the little +corpse, and it was then only that I learned how it had all +happened." +</P> + +<P> +"My wife had been sitting with the child on the edge of the lake, +and as she was playing with it, free of all fear and full of +happiness, the little one suddenly bent forward, as if attracted by +something very beautiful in the water. My wife saw her laugh, the +dear angel, and stretch out her little hands; but in a moment she +had sprung out of her mother's arms, and had sunk beneath the watery +mirror. I sought long for our little lost one; but it was all in +vain; there was no trace of her to be found." +</P> + +<P> +"The same evening we, childless parents, were sitting silently +together in the cottage; neither of us had any desire to talk, even +had our tears allowed us. We sat gazing into the fire on the hearth. +Presently, we heard something rustling outside the door: it flew +open, and a beautiful little girl three or four years old, richly +dressed, stood on the threshold smiling at us. We were quite dumb +with astonishment, and I knew not at first whether it were a vision +or a reality. But I saw the water dripping from her golden hair and +rich garments, and I perceived that the pretty child had been lying +in the water, and needed help. 'Wife,' said I, 'no one has been able +to save our dear child; yet let us at any rate do for others what +would have made us so blessed.' We undressed the little one, put her +to bed, and gave her something warm; at all this she spoke not a +word, and only fixed her eyes, that reflected the blue of the lake +and of the sky, smilingly upon us. Next morning we quickly perceived +that she had taken no harm from her wetting, and I now inquired +about her parents, and how she had come here. But she gave a +confused and strange account. She must have been born far from here, +not only because for these fifteen years I have not been able to +find out anything of her parentage, but because she then spoke, and +at times still speaks, of such singular things that such as we are +cannot tell but that she may have dropped upon us from the moon. She +talks of golden castles, of crystal domes, and heaven knows what +besides. The story that she told with most distinctness was, that +she was out in a boat with her mother on the great lake, and fell +into the water, and that she only recovered her senses here under +the trees where she felt herself quite happy on the merry shore. We +had still a great misgiving and perplexity weighing on our heart. We +had, indeed, soon decided to keep the child we had found and to +bring her up in the place of our lost darling; but who could tell us +whether she had been baptized or not? She herself could give us no +information on the matter. She generally answered our questions by +saying that she well knew she was created for Gods praise and glory, +and that she was ready to let us do with her whatever would tend to +His honor and glory." +</P> + +<P> +"My wife and I thought that if she were not baptized, there was no +time for delay, and that if she were, a good thing could not be +repeated too often. And in pursuance of this idea, we reflected upon +a good name for the child, for we now were often at a loss to know +what to call her. We agreed at last that Dorothea would be the most +suitable for her, for I once heard that it meant a gift of God, and +she had surely been sent to us by God as a gift and comfort in our +misery. She, on the other hand, would not hear of this, and told us +that she thought she had been called Undine by her parents, and that +Undine she wished still to be called. Now this appeared to me a +heathenish name, not to be found in any calendar, and I took counsel +therefore of a priest in the city. He also would not hear of the +name of Undine, but at my earnest request he came with me through +the mysterious forest in order to perform the rite of baptism here +in my cottage. The little one stood before us so prettily arrayed +and looked so charming that the priest's heart was at once moved +within him, and she flattered him so prettily, and braved him so +merrily, that at last he could no longer remember the objections he +had had ready against the name of Undine. She was therefore baptized +'Undine,' and during the sacred ceremony she behaved with great +propriety and sweetness, wild and restless as she invariably was at +other times. For my wife was quite right when she said that it has +been hard to put up with her. If I were to tell you"— +</P> + +<P> +The knight interrupted the fisherman to draw his attention to a +noise, as of a rushing flood of waters, which had caught his ear +during the old man's talk, and which now burst against the +cottage-window with redoubled fury. Both sprang to the door. There they +saw, by the light of the now risen moon, the brook which issued from +the wood, widely overflowing its banks, and whirling away stones and +branches of trees in its sweeping course. The storm, as if awakened +by the tumult, burst forth from the mighty clouds which passed +rapidly across the moon; the lake roared under the furious lashing +of the wind; the trees of the little peninsula groaned from root to +topmost bough, and bent, as if reeling, over the surging waters. +"Undine! for Heaven's sake, Undine." cried the two men in alarm. No +answer was returned, and regardless of every other consideration, +they ran out of the cottage, one in this direction, and the other in +that, searching and calling. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap03"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER III. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THEY FOUND UNDINE AGAIN. +</H3> + +<P> +The longer Huldbrand sought Undine beneath the shades of night, and +failed to find her, the more anxious and confused did he become. +</P> + +<P> +The idea that Undine had been only a mere apparition of the forest, +again gained ascendancy over him; indeed, amid the howling of the +waves and the tempest, the cracking of the trees, and the complete +transformation of a scene lately so calmly beautiful, he could +almost have considered the whole peninsula with its cottage and its +inhabitants as a mocking illusive vision; but from afar he still +ever heard through the tumult the fisherman's anxious call for +Undine, and the loud praying and singing of his aged wife. At length +he came close to the brink of the swollen stream, and saw in the +moonlight how it had taken its wild course directly in front of the +haunted forest, so as to change the peninsula into an island. "Oh +God!" he thought to himself, "if Undine has ventured a step into +that fearful forest, perhaps in her charming wilfulness, just +because I was not allowed to tell her about it; and now the stream +may be rolling between us, and she may be weeping on the other side +alone, among phantoms and spectres!" +</P> + +<P> +A cry of horror escaped him, and he clambered down some rocks and +overthrown pine-stems, in order to reach the rushing stream and by +wading or swimming to seek the fugitive on the other side. He +remembered all the awful and wonderful things which he had +encountered, even by day, under the now rustling and roaring +branches of the forest. Above all it seemed to him as if a tall man +in white, whom he knew but too well, was grinning and nodding on the +opposite shore; but it was just these monstrous forms which forcibly +impelled him to cross the flood, as the thought seized him that +Undine might be among them in the agonies of death and alone. +</P> + +<P> +He had already grasped the strong branch of a pine, and was standing +supported by it, in the whirling current, against which he could +with difficulty maintain himself; though with a courageous spirit he +advanced deeper into it. Just then a gentle voice exclaimed near +him: "Venture not, venture not, the old man, the stream, is full of +tricks!" He knew the sweet tones; he stood as if entranced beneath +the shadows that duskily shrouded the moon, and his head swam with +the swelling of the waves, which he now saw rapidly rising to his +waist. Still he would not desist. +</P> + +<P> +"If thou art not really there, if thou art only floating about me +like a mist, then may I too cease to live and become a shadow like +thee, dear, dear Undine!" Thus exclaiming aloud, he again stepped +deeper into the stream. "Look round thee, oh! look round thee, +beautiful but infatuated youth!" cried a voice again close beside +him, and looking aside, he saw by the momentarily unveiled moon, a +little island formed by the flood, on which he perceived under the +interweaved branches of the overhanging trees, Undine smiling and +happy, nestling in the flowery grass. +</P> + +<P> +Oh! how much more gladly than before did the young man now use the +aid of his pine-branch! +</P> + +<P> +With a few steps he had crossed the flood which was rushing between +him and the maiden, and he was standing beside her on a little spot +of turf, safely guarded and screened by the good old trees. Undine +had half-raised herself, and now under the green leafy tent she +threw her arms round his neck, and drew him down beside her on her +soft seat. +</P> + +<P> +"You shall tell me your story here, beautiful friend," said she, in +a low whisper; "the cross old people cannot hear us here: and our +roof of leaves is just as good a shelter as their poor cottage." +</P> + +<P> +"It is heaven itself!" said Huldbrand, embracing the beautiful girl +and kissing her fervently. +</P> + +<P> +The old fisherman meanwhile had come to the edge of the stream, and +shouted across to the two young people; "Why, sir knight, I have +received you as one honest-hearted man is wont to receive another, +and now here you are caressing my foster-child in secret, and +letting me run hither and thither through the night in anxious +search of her." +</P> + +<P> +"I have only just found her myself, old father," returned the +knight. +</P> + +<P> +"So much the better," said the fisherman; "but now bring her across +to me without delay upon firm ground." +</P> + +<P> +Undine, however, would not hear of this; she declared she would +rather go with the beautiful stranger, into the wild forest itself, +than return to the cottage, where no one did as she wished, and from +which the beautiful knight would himself depart sooner or later. +Then, throwing her arms round Huldbrand, she sang with indescribable +grace:— +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + "A stream ran out of the misty vale<BR> + Its fortunes to obtain,<BR> + the ocean's depths it found a home<BR> + And ne'er returned again."<BR> +</P> + +<P> +The old fisherman wept bitterly at her song, but this did not seem +to affect her particularly. She kissed and caressed her new friend, +who at last said to her: "Undine, if the old man's distress does not +touch your heart, it touches mine—let us go back to him." +</P> + +<P> +She opened her large blue eyes in amazement at him, and spoke at +last, slowly and hesitatingly: "If you think so—well, whatever you +think is right to me. But the old man yonder must first promise me +that he will let you, without objection, relate to me what you saw +in the wood, and—well, other things will settle themselves." +</P> + +<P> +"Come, only come," cried the fisherman to her, unable to utter +another word: and at the same time he stretched out his arms far +over the rushing stream toward her, and nodded his head as if to +promise the fulfilment of her request, and as he did this, his white +hair fell strangely over his face, and reminded Huldbrand of the +nodding white man in the forest. Without allowing himself, however, +to grow confused by such an idea the young knight took the beautiful +girl in his arms, and bore her over the narrow passage which the +stream had forced between her little island and the shore. +</P> + +<P> +The old man fell upon Undine's neck and could not satisfy the +exuberance of his joy; his good wife also came up and caressed the +newly-found in the heartiest manner. Not a word of reproach passed +their lips; nor was it thought of, for Undine, forgetting all her +waywardness, almost overwhelmed her foster-parents with affection +and fond expressions. +</P> + +<P> +When at last they had recovered from the excess of their joy, day +had already dawned, and had shed its purple hue over the lake; +stillness had followed the storm, and the little birds were singing +merrily on the wet branches. As Undine now insisted upon hearing the +knight's promised story, the aged couple smilingly and readily +acceded to her desire. Breakfast was brought out under the trees +which screened the cottage from the lake, and they sat down to it +with contented hearts—Undine on the grass at the knight's feet, the +place chosen by herself. +</P> + +<P> +Huldbrand then proceeded with his story. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap04"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER IV. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +OF THAT WHICH THE KNIGHT ENCOUNTERED IN THE WOOD. +</H3> + +<P> +"It is now about eight days ago since I rode into the free imperial +city, which lies on the other side of the forest. Soon after my +arrival, there was a splendid tournament and running at the ring, +and I spared neither my horse nor my lance. Once when I was pausing +at the lists, to rest after my merry toil, and was handing back my +helmet to one of my squires, my attention was attracted by a female +figure of great beauty, who was standing richly attired on one of +the galleries allotted to spectators." +</P> + +<P> +"I asked my neighbor, and learned from him, that the name of the +fair lady was Bertalda, and that she was the foster-daughter of one +of the powerful dukes living in the country. I remarked that she +also was looking at me, and, as it is wont to be with us young +knights, I had already ridden bravely, and now pursued my course +with renovated confidence and courage. In the dance that evening I +was Bertalda's partner, and I remained so throughout the festival." +</P> + +<P> +A sharp pain in his left hand, which hung down by his side, here +interrupted Huldbrand's narrative, and drew his attention to the +aching part. Undine had fastened her pearly teeth upon one of his +fingers, appearing at the same time very gloomy and angry. Suddenly, +however, she looked up in his eyes with an expression of tender +melancholy, and whispered in a soft voice: "It is your own fault." +Then she hid her face, and the knight, strangely confused and +thoughtful, continued his narrative. +</P> + +<P> +"This Bertalda was a haughty, wayward girl. Even on the second day +she pleased me no longer as she had done on the first, and on the +third day still less. Still I continued about her, because she was +more pleasant to me than to any other knight, and thus it was that I +begged her in jest to give me one of her gloves. 'I will give it you +when you have quite alone explored the ill-famed forest,' said she, +'and can bring me tidings of its wonders.' It was not that her glove +was of such importance to me, but the word had been said, and an +honorable knight would not allow himself to be urged a second time +to such a proof of valor." +</P> + +<P> +"I think she loved you," said Undine, interrupting him. +</P> + +<P> +"It seemed so," replied Huldbrand. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," exclaimed the girl, laughing, "she must be stupid indeed. To +drive away any one dear to her. And moreover, into an ill-omened +wood. The forest and its mysteries might have waited long enough for +me!" +</P> + +<P> +"Yesterday morning." continued the knight, smiling kindly at Undine, +"I set out on my enterprise. The stems of the trees caught the red +tints of the morning light which lay brightly on the green turf, the +leaves seemed whispering merrily with each other, and in my heart I +could have laughed at the people who could have expected anything to +terrify them in this pleasant spot. 'I shall soon have trotted +through the forest there and back again,' I said to myself, with a +feeling of easy gayety, and before I had even thought of it I was +deep within the green shades, and could no longer perceive the plain +which lay behind me. Then for the first time it struck me that I +might easily lose my way in the mighty forest, and that this perhaps +was the only danger which the wanderer had to fear. I therefore +paused and looked round in the direction of the sun, which in the +mean while had risen somewhat higher above the horizon. While I was +thus looking up I saw something black in the branches of a lofty +oak. I thought it was a bear and I grasped my sword; but with a +human voice, that sounded harsh and ugly, it called to me from +above: 'If I do not nibble away the branches up here, Sir Malapert, +what shall we have to roast you with at midnight?' And so saying it +grinned and made the branches rustle, so that my horse grew furious +and rushed forward with me before I had time to see what sort of a +devil it really was." +</P> + +<P> +"You must not call it so," said the old fisherman as he crossed +himself; his wife did the same silently. Undine looked at the knight +with sparkling eyes and said: "The best of the story is that they +certainly have not roasted him yet; go on now, you beautiful youth!" +</P> + +<P> +The knight continued his narration: "My horse was so wild that he +almost rushed with me against the stems and branches of trees; he +was dripping with sweat, and yet would not suffer himself to be held +in. At last he went straight in the direction of a rocky precipice; +then it suddenly seemed to me as if a tall white man threw himself +across the path of my wild steed; the horse trembled with fear and +stopped: I recovered my hold of him, and for the first time +perceived that my deliverer was no white man, but a brook of silvery +brightness, rushing down from a hill by my side and crossing and +impeding my horse's course." +</P> + +<P> +"Thanks, dear Brook," exclaimed Undine, clapping her little hands. +The old man, however, shook his head and looked down in deep +thought. +</P> + +<P> +"I had scarcely settled myself in the saddle," continued Huldbrand. +"and seized the reins firmly, when a wonderful little man stood at +my side, diminutive, and ugly beyond conception. His complexion was +of a yellowish brown, and his nose not much smaller than the rest of +his entire person. At the same time he kept grinning with stupid +courtesy, exhibiting his huge mouth, and making a thousand scrapes +and bows to me. As this farce was now becoming inconvenient to me, I +thanked him briefly and turned about my still trembling steed, +thinking either to seek another adventure, or in case I met with +none, to find my way back, for during my wild chase the sun had +already passed the meridian; but the little fellow sprang round with +the speed of lightning and stood again before my horse. 'Room!' I +cried, angrily; 'the animal is wild and may easily run over you.'— +'Ay, ay!' snarled the imp, with a grin still more horribly stupid. +'Give me first some drink-money, for I have stopped your horse; +without me you and your horse would be now both lying in the stony +ravine; ugh!'—'Don't make any more faces,' said I, 'and take your +money, even if you are telling lies; for see, it was the good brook +there that saved me, and not you, you miserable wight! And at the +same time I dropped a piece of gold into his grotesque cap, which he +had taken off in his begging. I then trotted on; but he screamed +after me, and suddenly with inconceivable quickness was at my side. +I urged my horse into a gallop; the imp ran too, making at the same +time strange contortions with his body, half-ridiculous, half-horrible, +and holding up the gold-piece, he cried, at every leap, +'False money!, false coin!, false coin!, false money!'—and this he +uttered with such a hollow sound that one would have supposed that +after every scream he would have fallen dead to the ground." +</P> + +<P> +"His horrid red tongue moreover hung far out of his mouth. I +stopped, perplexed, and asked: 'What do you mean by this screaming? +take another piece of gold, take two, but leave me.' He then began +again his hideous burlesque of politeness, and snarled out: 'Not +gold, not gold, my young gentleman. I have too much of that trash +myself, as I will show you at once?'" +</P> + +<P> +"Suddenly it seemed to me as if I could see through the solid soil +as though it were green glass and the smooth earth were as round as +a ball; and within, a multitude of goblins were ranking sport with +silver and gold; head over heels they were rolling about, pelting +each other in jest with the precious metals, and provokingly blowing +the gold-dust in each other's eyes. My hideous companion stood +partly within and partly without; he ordered the others to reach him +up heaps of gold, and showing it to me with a laugh, he then flung +it back again with a ringing noise into the immeasurable abyss." +</P> + +<P> +"He then showed the piece of gold I had given him to the goblins +below, and they laughed themselves half-dead over it and hissed at +me. At last they all pointed at me with their metal-stained fingers, +and more and more wildly, and more and more densely, and more and +more madly, the swarm of spirits came clambering up to me. I was +seized with terror as my horse had been before: I put spurs to him, +and I know not how far I galloped for the second time wildly into +the forest." +</P> + +<P> +"At length, when I again halted, the coolness of evening was around +me. Through the branches of the trees I saw a white foot-path +gleaming, which I fancied must lead from the forest toward the city. +I was anxious to work my way in that direction; but a face perfectly +white and indistinct, with features ever changing, kept peering at +me between the leaves; I tried to avoid it, but wherever I went it +appeared also. Enraged at this, I determined at last to ride at it, +when it gushed forth volumes of foam upon me and my horse, obliging +us half-blinded to make a rapid retreat. Thus it drove us step by +step ever away from the foot-path, leaving the way open to us only +in one direction. When we advanced in this direction, it kept indeed +close behind us, but did not do us the slightest harm." +</P> + +<P> +"Looking around at it occasionally, I perceived that the white face +that had besprinkled us with foam belonged to a form equally white +and of gigantic stature. Many a time I thought that it was a moving +stream, but I could never convince myself on the subject. Wearied +out, the horse and his rider yielded to the impelling power of the +white man, who kept nodding his head, as if he would say, 'Quite +right, quite right!' And thus at last we came out here to the end of +the forest, where I saw the turf, and the lake, and your little +cottage, and where the tall white man disappeared." +</P> + +<P> +"It's well that he's gone," said the old fisherman; and now he began +to talk of the best way by which his guest could return to his +friends in the city. Upon this Undine began to laugh slyly to +herself; Huldbrand observed it, and said: "I thought you were glad +to see me here; why then do you now rejoice when my departure is +talked of?" +</P> + +<P> +"Because you cannot go away," replied Undine. "Just try it once, to +cross that overflowed forest stream with a boat, with your horse, or +alone, as you may fancy. Or rather don't try it, for you would be +dashed to pieces by the stones and trunks of trees which are carried +down by it with the speed of lightning. And as to the lake, I know +it well; father dare not venture out far enough with his boat." +</P> + +<P> +Huldbrand rose, smiling, in order to see whether things were as +Undine had said; the old man accompanied him, and the girl danced +merrily along by their side. They found every thing, indeed, as +Undine had described, and the knight was obliged to submit to remain +on the little tongue of land, that had become an island, till the +flood should subside. As the three were returning to the cottage +after their ramble, the knight whispered in the ear of the little +maiden "Well, how is it, my pretty Undine—are you angry at my +remaining?" +</P> + +<P> +"Ah!" she replied, peevishly, "let me alone. If I had not bitten +you, who knows how much of Bertalda would have appeared in your +story?" +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap05"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER V. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THE KNIGHT LIVED ON THE LITTLE PROMONTORY. +</H3> + +<P> +After having been much driven to and fro in the world, you have +perhaps, my dear reader, reached at length some spot where all was +well with thee; where the love for home and its calm peace, innate +to all, has again sprung up within thee; where thou hast thought +that this home was rich with all the flowers of childhood and of the +purest, deepest love that rests upon the graves of those that are +gone, and thou hast felt it must be good to dwell here and to build +habitations. Even if thou hast erred in this, and hast had afterward +bitterly to atone for the error, that is nothing to the purpose now, +and thou wouldst not, indeed, voluntarily sadden thyself with the +unpleasant recollection. But recall that inexpressibly sweet +foreboding, that angelic sense of peace, and thou wilt know somewhat +of the knight Huldbrand's feelings during his abode on the little +promontory. +</P> + +<P> +He often perceived with hearty satisfaction that the forest stream +rolled along every day more wildly, making its bed ever broader and +broader, and prolonging his sojourn on the island to an indefinite +period. Part of the day he rambled about with an old cross-bow, +which he had found in a corner of the cottage and had repaired; and, +watching for the water-fowl, he killed all that he could for the +cottage kitchen. When he brought his booty home, Undine rarely +neglected to upbraid him with having so cruelly deprived the happy +birds of life; indeed she often wept bitterly at the sight he placed +before her. But if he came home another time without having shot +anything she scolded him no less seriously, since now, from his +carelessness and want of skill, they had to be satisfied with living +on fish. He always delighted heartily in her graceful little +scoldings, all the more as she generally strove to compensate for +her ill-humor by the sweetest caresses. +</P> + +<P> +The old people took pleasure in the intimacy of the young pair; they +regarded them as betrothed, or even as already united in marriage, +and living on this isolated spot, as a succor and support to them in +their old age. It was this same sense of seclusion that suggested +the idea also to Huldbrand's mind that he was already Undine's +accepted one. He felt as if there were no world beyond these +surrounding waters, or as if he could never recross them to mingle +with other men; and when at times his grazing horse would neigh as +if inquiringly to remind him of knightly deeds, or when the coat of +arms on his embroidered saddle and horse-gear shone sternly upon +him, or when his beautiful sword would suddenly fall from the nail +on which it was hanging in the cottage, gliding from the scabbard as +it fell, he would quiet the doubts of his mind by saving: "Undine is +no fisherman's daughter; she belongs in all probability to some +illustrious family abroad." There was only one thing to which he had +a strong aversion, and this was, when the old dame reproved Undine +in his presence. The wayward girl, it is true, laughed at it for the +most part, without attempting to conceal her mirth; but it seemed to +him as if his honor were concerned, and yet he could not blame the +old fisherman's wife, for Undine always deserved at least ten times +as many reproofs as she received; so, in his heart he felt the +balance in favor of the old woman, and his whole life flowed onward +in calm enjoyment. +</P> + +<P> +There came, however, an interruption at last. The fisherman and the +knight had been accustomed at their mid-day meal, and also in the +evening when the wind roared without, as it was always wont to do +toward night, to enjoy together a flask of wine. But now the store +which the fisherman had from time to time brought with him from the +town, was exhausted, and the two men were quite out of humor in +consequence. +</P> + +<P> +Undine laughed at them excessively all day, but they were neither of +them merry enough to join in her jests as usual. Toward evening she +went out of the cottage to avoid, as she said, two such long and +tiresome faces. As twilight advanced, there were again tokens of a +storm, and the water rushed and roared. Full of alarm, the knight +and the fisherman sprang to the door, to bring home the girl, +remembering the anxiety of that night when Huldbrand had first come +to the cottage. Undine, however, met them, clapping her little hands +with delight. "What will you give me," she said, "to provide you +with wine?" or rather, "you need not give me anything," she +continued, "for I am satisfied if you will look merrier and be in +better spirits than you have been throughout this whole wearisome +day. Only come with me; the forest stream has driven ashore a cask, +and I will be condemned to sleep through a whole week if it is not a +wine-cask." The men followed her, and in a sheltered creek on the +shore, they actually found a cask, which inspired them with the hope +that it contained the generous drink for which they were thirsting. +</P> + +<P> +They at once rolled it as quickly as possible toward the cottage, +for the western sky was overcast with heavy storm-clouds, and they +could observe in the twilight the waves of the lake raising their +white, foaming heads, as if looking out for the rain which was +presently to pour down upon them. Undine helped the men as much as +she was able, and when the storm of rain suddenly burst over them, +she said, with a merry threat to the heavy clouds: "Come, come, take +care that you don't wet us; we are still some way from shelter." The +old man reproved her for this, as simple presumption, but she +laughed softly to herself, and no mischief befell any one in +consequence of her levity. Nay, more: contrary to all expectation, +they reached the comfortable hearth with their booty perfectly dry, +and it was not till they had opened the cask, and had proved that it +contained some wonderfully excellent wine, that the rain burst forth +from the dark cloud, and the storm raged among the tops of the +trees, and over the agitated billows of the lake. +</P> + +<P> +Several bottles were soon filled from the great cask, which promised +a supply for many days, and they were sitting drinking and jesting +round the glowing fire, feeling comfortably secured from the raging +storm without. Suddenly the old fisherman became very grave and +said: "Ah, great God! here we are rejoicing over this rich treasure, +and he to whom it once belonged, and of whom the floods have robbed +it, has probably lost this precious life in their waters." +</P> + +<P> +"That he has not," declared Undine, as she smilingly filled the +knight's cup to the brim. +</P> + +<P> +But Huldbrand replied: "By my honor, old father, if I knew where to +find and to rescue him, no knightly errand and no danger would I +shirk. So much, however, I can promise you, that if ever again I +reach more inhabited lands, I will find out the owner of this wine +or his heirs, and requite it twofold, nay, threefold." +</P> + +<P> +This delighted the old man; he nodded approvingly to the knight, and +drained his cup with a better conscience and greater pleasure. +</P> + +<P> +Undine, however, said to Huldbrand: "Do as you will with your gold +and your reimbursement; but you spoke foolishly about the venturing +out in search; I should cry my eyes out, if you were lost in the +attempt, and isn't it true, that you would yourself rather stay with +me and the good wine." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, indeed," answered Huldbrand, smiling. +</P> + +<P> +"Then," said Undine, "you spoke unwisely. For charity begins at +home, and what do other people concern us?" +</P> + +<P> +The old woman turned away sighing and shaking her head; the +fisherman forgot his wonted affection for the pretty girl and +scolded her. +</P> + +<P> +"It sounds exactly," said he, as he finished his reproof, "as if +Turks and heathens had brought you up; may God forgive both me and +you, you spoiled child." +</P> + +<P> +"Well," replied Undine, "for all that, it is what I feel, let who +will hate brought me up, and all your words can't help that." +</P> + +<P> +"Silence!" exclaimed the fisherman, and Undine, who, in spite of her +pertness, was exceedingly fearful, shrank from him, and moving +tremblingly toward Huldbrand, asked him in a soft tone: "Are you +also angry, dear friend?" +</P> + +<P> +The knight pressed her tender hand and stroked her hair. He could +say nothing, for vexation at the old man's severity toward Undine +closed his lips: and thus the two couples sat opposite to each +other, with angry feelings and embarrassed silence. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap06"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VI. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +OF A NUPTIAL CEREMONY. +</H3> + +<P> +A low knocking at the door was heard in the midst of this stillness, +startling all the inmates of the cottage; for there are times when a +little circumstance, happening quite unexpectedly, can unduly alarm +us. But there was here the additional cause of alarm that the +enchanted forest lay so near, and that the little promontory seemed +just now inaccessible to human beings. They looked at each other +doubtingly, as the knocking was repeated accompanied by a deep +groan, and the knight sprang to reach his sword. But the old man +whispered softly: "If it be what I fear, no weapon will help us." +</P> + +<P> +Undine meanwhile approached the door and called out angrily and +boldly: "Spirits of the earth, if you wish to carry on your +mischief, Kuhleborn shall teach you something better." +</P> + +<P> +The terror of the rest was increased by these mysterious words; they +looked fearfully at the girl, and Huldbrand was just regaining +courage enough to ask what she meant, when a voice said without: "I +am no spirit of the earth, but a spirit indeed still within its +earthly body. You within the cottage, if you fear God and will help +me, open to me." At these words, Undine had already opened the door, +and had held a lamp out in the stormy night, by which they perceived +an aged priest standing there, who stepped back in terror at the +unexpected sight of the beautiful maiden. He might well think that +witchcraft and magic were at work when such a lovely form appeared +at such an humble cottage door: he therefore began to pray: "All +good spirits praise the Lord!" +</P> + +<P> +"I am no spectre," said Undine, smiling; "do I then look so ugly? +Besides you may see the holy words do not frighten me. I too know of +God and understand how to praise Him; every one to be sure in his +own way, for so He has created us. Come in, venerable father; you +come among good people." +</P> + +<P> +The holy man entered, bowing and looking round him, with a profound, +yet tender demeanor. But the water was dropping from every fold of +his dark garment, and from his long white beard and from his gray +locks. The fisherman and the knight took him to another apartment +and furnished him with other clothes, while they gave the women his +own wet attire to dry. The aged stranger thanked them humbly and +courteously, but he would on no account accept the knight's splendid +mantle, which was offered to him; but he chose instead an old gray +overcoat belonging to the fisherman. They then returned to the +apartment, and the good old dame immediately vacated her easy-chair +for the reverend father, and would not rest till he had taken +possession of it. "For," said she, "you are old and exhausted, and +you are moreover a man of God." Undine pushed under the stranger's +feet her little stool, on which she had been wont to sit by the side +of Huldbrand, and she showed herself in every way most gentle and +kind in her care of the good old man. Huldbrand whispered some +raillery at it in her ear, but she replied very seriously: "He is a +servant of Him who created us all; holy things are not to be jested +with." The knight and the fisherman then refreshed their reverend +guest with food and wine, and when he had somewhat recovered +himself, he began to relate how he had the day before set out from +his cloister, which lay far beyond the great lake, intending to +travel to the bishop, in order to acquaint him with the distress +into which the monastery and its tributary villages had fallen on +account of the extraordinary floods. +</P> + +<P> +After a long, circuitous route, which these very floods had obliged +him to take, he had been this day compelled, toward evening, to +procure the aid of a couple of good boatmen to cross an arm of the +lake, which had overflowed its banks. +</P> + +<P> +"Scarcely however," continued he, "had our small craft touched the +waves, than that furious tempest burst forth which is now raging +over our heads. It seemed as if the waters had only waited for us, +to commence their wildest whirling dance with our little boat. The +oars were soon torn out of the hands of my men, and were dashed by +the force of the waves further and further beyond our reach. We +ourselves, yielding to the resistless powers of nature, helplessly +drifted over the surging billows of the lake toward your distant +shore, which we already saw looming through the mist and foam. +Presently our boat turned round and round as in a giddy whirlpool; I +know not whether it was upset, or whether I fell overboard. In a +vague terror of inevitable death I drifted on, till a wave cast me +here, under the trees on your island." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, island!" cried the fisherman; "a short time ago it was only a +point of land; but now, since the forest-stream and the lake have +become well-nigh bewitched, things are quite different with us." +</P> + +<P> +"I remarked something of the sort," said the priest, "as I crept +along the shore in the dark, and hearing nothing but the uproar +around me. I at last perceived that a beaten foot-path disappeared +just in the direction from which the sound proceeded. I now saw the +light in your cottage, and ventured hither, and I cannot +sufficiently thank my heavenly Father that after preserving me from +the waters, He has led me to such good and pious people as you are; +and I feel this all the more, as I do not know whether I shall ever +behold any other beings is this world, except those I now address." +</P> + +<P> +"What do you mean?" asked the fisherman. +</P> + +<P> +"Do you know then how long this commotion of the elements is to +last?" replied the holy man. "And I am old in years. Easily enough +may the stream of my life run itself out before the overflowing of +the forest-stream may subside. And indeed it were not impossible +that more and more of the foaming waters may force their way between +you and yonder forest, until you are so far sundered from the rest +of the world that your little fishing-boat will no longer be +sufficient to carry you across, and the inhabitants of the continent +in the midst of their diversions will have entirely forgotten you in +your old age." +</P> + +<P> +The fisherman's wife started at this, crossed herself and exclaimed. +"God forbid." But her husband looked at her with a smile, and said +"What creatures we are after all! even were it so, things would not +be very different—at least not for you, dear wife—than they now +are. For have you for many years been further than the edge of the +forest? and have you seen any other human beings than Undine and +myself? The knight and this holy man have only come to as lately. +They will remain with us if we do become a forgotten island; so you +would even be a gainer by it after all." +</P> + +<P> +"I don't know," said the old woman; "it is somehow a gloomy thought, +when one imagines that one is irrecoverably separated from other +people, although, were it otherwise, one might neither know nor see +them." +</P> + +<P> +"Then you will remain with us! then you will remain with us!" +whispered Undine, in a low, half-singing tone, as she nestled closer +to Huldbrand's side. But he was absorbed in the deep and strange +visions of his own mind. +</P> + +<P> +The region on the other side of the forest-river seemed to dissolve +into distance during the priest's last words: and the blooming +island upon which he lived grew more green, and smiled more freshly +in his mind's vision. His beloved one glowed as the fairest rose of +this little spot of earth, and even of the whole world, and the +priest was actually there. Added to this, at that moment an angry +glance from the old dame was directed at the beautiful girl, +because even in the presence of the reverend father she leaned so +closely on the knight, and it seemed as if a torrent of reproving +words were on the point of following. Presently, turning to the +priest, Huldbrand broke forth: "Venerable father, you see before you +here a pair pledged to each other: and if this maiden and these good +old people have no objection, you shall unite us this very evening." +The aged couple were extremely surprised. They had, it is true, +hitherto often thought of something of the sort, but they had never +yet expressed it, and when the knight now spoke thus, it came upon +them as something wholly new and unprecedented. +</P> + +<P> +Undine had become suddenly grave, and looked down thoughtfully while +the priest inquired respecting the circumstances of the case, and +asked if the old people gave their consent. After much discussion +together, the matter was settled; the old dame went to arrange the +bridal chamber for the young people, and to look out two consecrated +tapers which she had had in her possession for some time, and which +she thought essential to the nuptial ceremony. The knight in the +mean while examined his gold chain, from which he wished to +disengage two rings, that he might make an exchange of them with his +bride. +</P> + +<P> +She, however, observing what he was doing, started up from her +reverie, and exclaimed: "Not so! my parents have not sent me into +the world quite destitute; on the contrary, they must have +anticipated with certainty that such an evening as this would come." +Thus saving, she quickly left the room and reappeared in a moment +with two costly rings, one of which she gave to her bridegroom, and +kept the other for herself. The old fisherman was extremely +astonished at this, and still more so his wife, who just then +entered, for neither had ever seen these jewels in the child's +possession. +</P> + +<P> +"My parents," said Undine, "sewed these little things into the +beautiful frock which I had on, when I came to you. They forbid me, +moreover, to mention them to anyone before my wedding evening, so I +secretly took them, and kept them concealed until now." +</P> + +<P> +The priest interrupted all further questionings by lighting the +consecrated tapers, which he placed upon a table, and summoned the +bridal pair to stand opposite to him. He then gave them to each +other with a few short solemn words; the elder couple gave their +blessing to the younger, and the bride, trembling and thoughtful, +leaned upon the knight. Then the priest suddenly said: "You are +strange people after all. Why did you tell me you were the only +people here on the island? and during the whole ceremony, a tall +stately man, in a white mantle, has been looking at me through the +window opposite. He must still be standing before the door, to see +if you will invite him to come into the house." +</P> + +<P> +"God forbid," said the old dame with a start; the fisherman shook +his head in silence, and Huldbrand sprang to the window. It seemed +even to him as if he could still see a white streak, but it soon +completely disappeared in the darkness. He convinced the priest that +he must have been absolutely mistaken, and they all sat down +together round the hearth. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap07"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VII. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +WHAT FURTHER HAPPENED ON THE EVENING OF THE WEDDING. +</H3> + +<P> +Both before and during the ceremony, Undine had shown herself gentle +and quiet; but it now seemed as if all the wayward humors which +rioted within her, burst forth all the more boldly and unrestrainedly. +She teased her bridegroom and her foster-parents, and even the +holy man whom she had so lately reverenced, with all sorts of +childish tricks; and when the old woman was about to reprove her, +she was quickly silenced by a few grave words from the knight, +speaking of Undine now as his wife. Nevertheless, the knight +himself was equally little pleased with Undine's childish behavior: +but no signs, and no reproachful words were of any avail. It is +true, whenever the bride noticed her husband's dissatisfaction—and +this occurred occasionally—she became more quiet, sat down by his +side, caressed him, whispered something smilingly into his ear, and +smoothed the wrinkles that were gathering on his brow. But +immediately afterward, some wild freak would again lead her to +return to her ridiculous proceedings, and matters would be worse +than before. At length the priest said in a serious and kind tone: +"My fair young maiden, no one indeed can look at you without +delight; but remember so to attune your soul betimes, that it may +ever harmonize with that of your wedded husband." +</P> + +<P> +"Soul!" said Undine, laughing; "that sounds pretty enough, and may +be a very edifying and useful caution for most people. But when one +hasn't a soul at all, I beg you, what is there to attune then? and +that is my case." The priest was silent and deeply wounded, and with +holy displeasure he turned his face from the girl. She, however, +went up to him caressingly, and said: "No! listen to me first, +before you look angry, for your look of anger gives me pain, and you +must not give pain to any creature who has done you no wrong—only +have patience with me, and I will tell you properly what I mean." +</P> + +<P> +It was evident that she was preparing herself to explain something +in detail, but suddenly she hesitated, as if seized with an inward +shuddering, and burst out into a flood of tears. They none of them +knew what to make of this ebullition, and filled with various +apprehensions they gazed at her in silence. At length, wiping away +her tears, and looking earnestly at the reverend man, she said: +"There must be something beautiful, but at the same time extremely +awful, about a soul. Tell me, holy sir, were it not better that we +never shared such a gift?" She was silent again as if waiting for an +answer, and her tears had ceased to flow. All in the cottage had +risen from their seats and had stepped back from her with horror. +She, however, seemed to have eyes for no one but the holy man; her +features wore an expression of fearful curiosity, which appeared +terrible to those who saw her. "The soul must be a heavy burden," +she continued, as no one answered her, "very heavy! for even its +approaching image overshadows me with anxiety and sadness. And, ah! +I was so light-hearted and so merry till now!" And she burst into a +fresh flood of tears, and covered her face with the drapery she +wore. Then the priest went up to her with a solemn air, and spoke to +her, and conjured her by the name of the Most Holy to cast aside the +veil that enveloped her, if any spirit of evil possessed her. But +she sank on her knees before him, repeating all the sacred words he +uttered, praising God, and protesting that she wished well with the +whole world. +</P> + +<P> +Then at last the priest said to the knight: "Sir bridegroom, I will +leave you alone with her whom I have united to you in marriage. So +far as I can discover there is nothing of evil in her, but much +indeed that is mysterious. I commend to you—prudence, love, and +fidelity." So saying, he went out, and the fisherman and his wife +followed him, crossing themselves. +</P> + +<P> +Undine had sunk on her knees: she unveiled her face and said, +looking timidly round on Huldbrand: "Alas! you will surely now not +keep me as your own; and yet I have done no evil, poor child that I +am!" As she said this, she looked so exquisitely graceful and +touching, that her bridegroom forgot all the horror he had felt, and +all the mystery that clung to her, and hastening to her he raised +her in his arms. She smiled through her tears; it was a smile like +the morning-light playing on a little stream. +</P> + +<P> +"You cannot leave me," she whispered, with confident security, +stroking the knight's cheek with her tender hand. Huldbrand tried to +dismiss the fearful thoughts that still lurked in the background of +his mind, persuading him that he was married to a fairy or to some +malicious and mischievous being of the spirit world, only the single +question half unawares escaped his lips: "My little Undine, tell me +this one thing, what was it you said of spirits of the earth and of +Kuhleborn, when the priest knocked at the door?" +</P> + +<P> +"It was nothing but fairy tales!—children's fairy tales!" said +Undine, with all her wonted gayety; "I frightened you at first with +them, and then you frightened me, that's the end of our story and of +our nuptial evening." +</P> + +<P> +"Nay! that it isn't," said the knight, intoxicated with love, and +extinguishing the tapers, he bore his beautiful beloved to the +bridal chamber by the light of the moon which shone brightly through +the windows. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap08"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VIII. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING. +</H3> + +<P> +The fresh light of the morning awoke the young married pair. +Wonderful and horrible dreams had disturbed Huldbrand's rest; he had +been haunted by spectres, who, grinning at him by stealth, had tried +to disguise themselves as beautiful women, and from beautiful women +they all at once assumed the faces of dragons, and when he started +up from these hideous visions, the moonlight shone pale and cold +into the room; terrified he looked at Undine, who still lay in +unaltered beauty and grace. Then he would press a light kiss upon +her rosy lips, and would fall asleep again only to be awakened by +new terrors. After he had reflected on all this, now that he was +fully awake, he reproached himself for any doubt that could have led +him into error with regard to his beautiful wife. He begged her to +forgive him for the injustice he had done her, but she only held out +to him her fair hand, sighed deeply, and remained silent. But a +glance of exquisite fervor beamed from her eyes such as he had never +seen before, carrying with it the full assurance that Undine bore +him no ill-will. He then rose cheerfully and left her, to join his +friends in the common apartment. +</P> + +<P> +He found the three sitting round the hearth, with an air of anxiety +about them, as if they dared not venture to speak aloud. The priest +seemed to be praying in his inmost spirit that all evil might be +averted. When, however, they saw the young husband come forth so +cheerfully the careworn expression of their faces vanished. +</P> + +<P> +The old fisherman even began to jest with the knight, so pleasantly, +that the aged wife smiled good-humoredly as she listened to them. +Undine at length made her appearance. All rose to meet her and all +stood still with surprise, for the young wife seemed so strange to +them and yet the same. The priest was the first to advance toward +her with paternal arms affection beaming in his face, and, as he +raised his hand to bless her, the beautiful woman sank reverently on +her knees before him. With a few humble and gracious words she +begged him to forgive her for any foolish things she might have said +the evening before, and entreated him in an agitated tone to pray +for the welfare of her soul. She then rose, kissed her foster-parents, +and thanking them for all the goodness they had shown her, +she exclaimed: "Oh! I now feel in my innermost heart, how much, how +infinitely much, you have done for me, dear, kind people!" She could +not at first desist from her caresses, but scarcely had she +perceived that the old woman was busy in preparing breakfast, than +she went to the hearth, cooked and arranged the meal, and would not +suffer the good old mother to take the least trouble. +</P> + +<P> +She continued thus throughout the whole day, quiet, kind, and +attentive—at once a little matron and a tender, bashful girl. The +three who had known her longest expected every moment to see some +whimsical vagary of her capricious spirit burst forth. But they +waited in vain for it. Undine remained as mild and gentle as an +angel. The holy father could not take his eyes from her, and he said +repeatedly to the bridegroom: "The goodness of heaven, sir, has +intrusted a treasure to you yesterday through me, unworthy as I am; +cherish it as you ought, and it will promote your temporal and +eternal welfare." +</P> + +<P> +Toward evening Undine was hanging on the knight's arm with humble +tenderness, and drew him gently out of the door, where the declining +sun was shining pleasantly on the fresh grass, and upon the tall, +slender stems of the trees. The eyes of the young wife were moist, +as with the dew of sadness and love, and a tender and fearful secret +seemed hovering on her lips, which, however, was only disclosed by +scarcely audible sighs. She led her husband onward and onward in +silence; when he spoke, she only answered him with looks, in which, +it is true, there lay no direct reply to his inquiries, but whole +heaven of love and timid devotion. Thus they reached the edge of the +swollen forest stream, and the knight was astonished to see it +rippling along in gentle waves, without a trace of its former +wildness and swell. "By the morning it will be quite dry," said the +beautiful wife, in a regretful tone, "and you can then travel away +wherever you will, without anything to hinder you." +</P> + +<P> +"Not without you, my little Undine," replied the knight, laughing: +"remember, even if I wished to desert you, the church, and the +spiritual powers, and the emperor, and the empire would interpose +and bring the fugitive back again." +</P> + +<P> +"All depends upon you, all depends upon you," whispered his wife, +half-weeping and half-smiling. "I think, however, nevertheless, that +you will keep me with you: I love you so heartily. Now carry me +across to that little island that lies before us. The matter shall +be decided there. I could easily indeed glide through the rippling +waves, but it is so restful in your arms, and if you were to cast me +off, I shall have sweetly rested in them once more for the last +time." Huldbrand, full as he was of strange fear and emotion, knew +not what to reply. He took her in his arms and carried her across, +remembering now for the first time that this was the same little +island from which he had borne her back to the old fisherman on that +first night. On the further side he put her down on the soft grass, +and was on the point of placing himself lovingly near his beautiful +burden, when she said: "No, there opposite to me! I will read my +sentence in your eyes, before your lips speak; now, listen +attentively to what I will relate to you." And she began:— +</P> + +<P> +"You must know, my loved one, that there are beings in the elements +which almost appear like mortals, and which rarely allow themselves +to become visible to your race. Wonderful salamanders glitter and +sport in the flames; lean and malicious gnomes dwell deep within the +earth; spirits, belonging to the air, wander through the forests, +and a vast family of water-spirits live in the lakes, and streams, +and brooks. In resounding domes of crystal, through which the sky +looks in with its sun and stars, these latter spirits find their +beautiful abode; lofty trees of coral with blue and crimson fruits +gleam in their gardens; they wander over the pure sand of the sea, +and among lovely variegated shells, and amid all exquisite treasures +of the old world, which the present is no longer worthy to enjoy; +all these the floods have covered with their secret veils of silver, +and the noble monuments sparkle below, stately and solemn, and +bedewed by the loving waters which allure from them many a beautiful +moss-flower and entwining cluster of sea-grass. Those, however, who +dwell there are very fair and lovely to behold, and for the most +part are more beautiful than human beings. Many a fisherman has been +so fortunate as to surprise some tender mermaid as she rose above +the waters and sang. He would tell afar of her beauty, and such +wonderful beings have been given the name of Undines. You, however, +are now actually beholding an Undine." +</P> + +<P> +The knight tried to persuade himself that his beautiful wife was +under the spell of one of her strange humors, and that she was +taking pleasure in teasing him with one of her extravagant +inventions. But repeatedly as he said this to himself, he could not +believe it for a moment; a strange shudder passed through him; +unable to utter a word, he stared at the beautiful narrator with an +immovable gaze. Undine shook her head sorrowfully, drew a deep sigh, +and then proceeded as follows:— +</P> + +<P> +"Our condition would be far superior to that of other human +beings—for human beings we call ourselves, being similar to them in form +and culture—but there is one evil peculiar to us. We and our like +in the other elements, vanish into dust and pass away, body and +spirit, so that not a vestige of us remains behind; and when you +mortals hereafter awake to a purer life, we remain with the sand and +the sparks and the wind and the waves. Hence we have also no souls; +the element moves us, and is often obedient to us while we live, +though it scatters us to dust when we die; and we are merry, without +having aught to grieve us—merry as the nightingales and the little +gold-fishes and other pretty children of nature. But all things +aspire to be higher than they are. Thus, my father, who is a +powerful water-prince in the Mediterranean Sea, desired that his +only daughter should become possessed of a soul, even though she +must then endure many of the sufferings of those thus endowed. Such +as we are, however, can only obtain a soul by the closest union of +affection with one of your human race. I am now possessed of a soul, +and my soul thanks you, my inexpressibly beloved one, and it will +ever thank you, if you do not make my whole life miserable. For what +is to become of me, if you avoid and reject me? Still, I would not +retain you by deceit. And if you mean to reject me, do so now, and +return alone to the shore. I will dive into this brook, which is my +uncle; and here in the forest, far removed from other friends, he +passes his strange and solitary life. He is, however, powerful, and +is esteemed and beloved by many great streams; and as he brought me +hither to the fisherman, a light-hearted, laughing child, he will +take me back again to my parents, a loving, suffering, and +soul-endowed woman." +</P> + +<P> +She was about to say still more, but Huldbrand embraced her with the +most heartfelt emotion and love, and bore her back again to the +shore. It was not till he reached it, that he swore amid tears and +kisses, never to forsake his sweet wife, calling himself more happy +than the Greek Pygmalion, whose beautiful statue received life from +Venus and became his loved one. In endearing confidence, Undine +walked back to the cottage, leaning on his arm; feeling now for the +first time, with all her heart, how little she ought to regret the +forsaken crystal palaces of her mysterious father. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap09"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER IX. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THE KNIGHT TOOK HIS YOUNG WIFE WITH HIM. +</H3> + +<P> +When Huldbrand awoke from his sleep on the following morning, and +missed his beautiful wife from his side, he began to indulge again +in the strange thoughts, that his marriage and the charming Undine +herself were but fleeting and deceptive illusions. But at the same +moment she entered the room, sat down beside him, and said: "I have +been out rather early to see if my uncle keeps his word. He has +already led all the waters back again into his own calm channel, and +he now flows through the forest, solitarily and dreamily as before. +His friends in the water and the air have also returned to repose: +all will again go on quietly and regularly, and you can travel +homeward when you will, dry-shod." It seemed to Huldbrand as though +he were in a waking dream, so little could he reconcile himself to +the strange relationship of his wife. Nevertheless he made no +remark on the matter, and the exquisite grace of his bride soon +lulled to rest every uneasy misgiving. When he was afterward +standing before the door with her, and looking over the green +peninsula with its boundary of clear waters, he felt so happy +in this cradle of his love, that he exclaimed: "Why shall we +travel so soon as to-day? We shall scarcely find more pleasant days +in the world yonder than those we have spent in this quiet little +shelter. Let us yet see the sun go down here twice or thrice more." +</P> + +<P> +"As my lord wills," replied Undine, humbly. "It is only that the old +people will, at all events, part from me with pain, and when they +now for the first time perceive the true soul within me, and how I +can now heartily love and honor, their feeble eyes will be dimmed +with plentiful tears. At present they consider my quietness and +gentleness of no better promise than before, like the calmness of +the lake when the air is still; and, as matters now are, they will +soon learn to cherish a flower or a tree as they have cherished me. +Do not, therefore, let me reveal to them this newly-bestowed and +loving heart, just at the moment when they must lose it for this +world; and how could I conceal it, if we remain longer together?" +</P> + +<P> +Huldbrand conceded the point; he went to the aged people and talked +with them over the journey, which he proposed to undertake +immediately. The holy father offered to accompany the young married +pair, and, after a hasty farewell, he and the knight assisted the +beautiful bride to mount her horse, and walked with rapid step by +her side over the dry channel of the forest-stream into the wood +beyond. Undine wept silently but bitterly, and the old people gave +loud expression to their grief. It seemed as if they had a +presentiment of all they were now losing in their foster-child. +</P> + +<P> +The three travellers had reached in silence the densest shades of +the forest. It must have been a fair sight, under that green canopy +of leaves, to see Undine's lovely form, as she sat on her noble and +richly ornamented steed, with the venerable priest in the white garb +of his order on one side of her, and on the other the blooming young +knight in his gay and splendid attire, with his sword at his girdle. +Huldbrand had no eyes but for his beautiful wife Undine, who had +dried her tears, had no eyes but for him, and they soon fell into a +mute, voiceless converse of glance and gesture, from which they were +only roused at length by the low talking of the reverend father with +a fourth traveller, who in the mean while had joined them +unobserved. +</P> + +<P> +He wore a white garment almost resembling the dress of the priests +order, except that his hood hung low over his face, and his whole +attire floated round him in such vast folds that he was obliged +every moment to gather it up, and throw it over his arm, or dispose +of it in some way, and yet it did not in the least seem to impede +his movements. When the young couple first perceived him, he was +just saying "And so, venerable sir. I have now dwelt for many years +here in the forest, and yet no one could call me a hermit, in your +sense of the word. For, as I said, I know nothing of penance, and I +do not think I have any especial need of it. I love the forest only +for this reason, that its beauty is quite peculiar to itself, and it +amuses me to pass along in my flowing white garments among the eases +and dusky shadows, while now and then a sweet sunbeam shines down +unexpectedly upon me." +</P> + +<P> +"You are a very strange man," replied the priest, "and I should like +to be more closely acquainted with you." +</P> + +<P> +"And to pass from one thing to another, who may you be yourself?" +asked the stranger. +</P> + +<P> +"I am called Father Heilmann," said the holy man; "and I come from +the monastery of 'our Lady' which lies on the other side of the +lake." +</P> + +<P> +"Indeed," replied the stranger; "my name is Kuhleborn, and so far as +courtesy is concerned I might claim the title of Lord of Kuhleborn, +or free Lord of Kuhleborn; for I am as free as the birds in the +forest and perhaps a little more so. For example, I have now +something to say to the young lady there." And before they were +aware of his intention, he was at the other side of the priest, +close beside Undine, stretching himself up to whisper something in +her ear. +</P> + +<P> +But she turned from him with alarm, and exclaimed: "I have nothing +more to do with you." +</P> + +<P> +"Ho, ho," laughed the stranger, "what is this immensely grand +marriage you have made, that you don't know your own relations any +longer? Have you forgotten your uncle Kuhleborn, who so faithfully +bore you on his back through this region?" +</P> + +<P> +"I beg you, nevertheless," replied Undine, "not to appear in my +presence again. I am now afraid of you; and suppose my husband +should learn to avoid me when he sees me in such strange company and +with such relations!" +</P> + +<P> +"My little niece," said Kuhleborn, "you must not forget that I am +with you here as a guide; the spirits of earth that haunt this place +might otherwise play some of their stupid pranks with you. Let me +therefore go quietly on with you; the old priest there remembered me +better than you appear to have done, for he assured me just now that +I seemed familiar to him, and that I must have been with him in the +boat, out of which he fell into the water. I was so, truly enough; +for I was the water-spout that carried him out of it and washed him +safely ashore for your wedding." +</P> + +<P> +Undine and the knight turned toward Father Heilmann; but he seemed +walking on, as in a sort of dream, and no longer to be conscious of +all that was passing. Undine then said to Kuhleborn, "I see yonder +the end of the forest. We no longer need your help, and nothing +causes us alarm but yourself. I beg you, therefore, in all love and +good-will, vanish, and let us proceed in peace." +</P> + +<P> +Kuhleborn seemed to become angry at this; his countenance assumed a +frightful expression, and he grinned fiercely at Undine, who +screamed aloud and called upon her husband for assistance. As quick +as lightning, the knight sprang to the other side of the horse, and +aimed his sharp sword at Kuhleborn's head. But the sword cut through +a waterfall, which was rushing down near them from a lofty crag; and +with a splash, which almost sounded like a burst of laughter, it +poured over them and wet them through to the skin. +</P> + +<P> +The priest, as if suddenly awaking, exclaimed "I have long been +expecting that, for the stream ran down from the height so close to +us. At first it really seemed to me like a man, and as if it could +speak." As the waterfall came rushing down, it distinctly uttered +these words in Huldbrand's ear:— +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + "Rash knight,<BR> + Brave knight,<BR> + Rage, feel I not,<BR> + Chide, will I not.<BR> + But ever guard thy little wife as well,<BR> + Rash knight, brave knight! Protect her well!"<BR> +</P> + +<P> +A few footsteps more, and they were upon open ground. The imperial +city lay bright before them, and the evening sun, which gilded its +towers, kindly dried the garments of the drenched wanderers. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap10"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER X. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THEY LIVED IN THE CITY. +</H3> + +<P> +The sudden disappearance of the young knight, Huldbrand von +Ringstetten, from the imperial city, had caused great sensation and +solicitude among those who had admired him, both for his skill in +the tournament and the dance, and no less so for his gentle and +agreeable manners. His servants would not quit the place without +their master, although not one of them would have had the courage to +go in quest of him into the shadowy recesses of the forest. They +therefore remained in their quarters, inactively hoping, as men are +wont to do, and keeping alive the remembrance of their lost lord by +their lamentations. When, soon after, the violent storms and floods +were observed, the less doubt was entertained as to the certain +destruction of the handsome stranger; and Bertalda openly mourned +for him and blamed herself for having allured the unfortunate knight +into the forest. Her foster-parents, the duke and duchess, had come +to fetch her away, but Bertalda entreated them to remain with her +until certain intelligence had been obtained of Huldbrand's fate. +She endeavored to prevail upon several young knights, who were +eagerly courting her, to follow the noble adventurer to the forest. +But she would not pledge her hand as a reward of the enterprise, +because she always cherished the hope of belonging to the returning +knight, and no glove, nor riband, nor even kiss, would tempt any one +to expose his life for the sake of bringing back such a dangerous +rival. +</P> + +<P> +When Huldbrand now suddenly and unexpectedly appeared, his servants. +and the inhabitants of the city, and almost every one, rejoiced. +Bertalda alone refused to do so; for agreeable as it was to the +others that he should bring with him such a beautiful bride, and +Father Heilmann as a witness of the marriage, Bertalda could feel +nothing but grief and vexation. In the first place, she had really +loved the young knight with all her heart, and in the next, her +sorrow at his absence had proclaimed this far more before the eyes +of all, than was now befitting. She still, however, conducted +herself as a wise maiden, reconciled herself to circumstances, and +lived on the most friendly terms with Undine, who was looked upon +throughout the city as a princess whom Huldbrand had rescued in the +forest from some evil enchantment. When she or her husband were +questioned on the matter, they were wise enough to be silent or +skilfully to evade the inquiries. Father Heilmann's lips were sealed +to idle gossip of any kind, and moreover, immediately after +Huldbrand's arrival, he had returned to his monastery; so that +people were obliged to be satisfied with their own strange +conjectures, and even Bertalda herself knew no more of the truth +than others. +</P> + +<P> +Day by day, Undine felt her affection increase for the fair maiden. +"We must have known each other before," she often used to say to +her, "or else, there must be some mysterious connection between us, +for one does not love another as dearly as I have loved you from the +first moment of our meeting without some cause—some deep and secret +cause." And Bertalda also could not deny the fact that she felt +drawn to Undine with a tender feeling of confidence, however much +she might consider that she had cause for the bitterest lamentation +at this successful rival. Biassed by this mutual affection, they +both persuaded—the one her foster-parents, the other her husband—to +postpone the day of departure from time to time; indeed, it was +even proposed that Bertalda should accompany Undine for a time to +castle Ringstetten, near the source of the Danube. +</P> + +<P> +They were talking over this plan one beautiful evening, as they were +walking by starlight in the large square of the Imperial city, under +the tall trees that enclose it. The young married pair had incited +Bertalda to join them in their evening walk, and all three were +strolling up and down under the dark-blue sky, often interrupting +their familiar talk to admire the magnificent fountain in the middle +of the square, as its waters rushed and bubbled forth with wonderful +beauty. It had a soothing happy influence upon them; between the +shadows of the trees there stole glimmerings of light from the +adjacent houses; a low murmur of children at play, and of others +enjoying their walk, floated around them; they were so alone, and +yet in the midst of the bright and living world; whatever had +appeared difficult by day, now became smooth as of itself; and the +three friends could no longer understand why the slightest +hesitation had existed with regard to Bertalda's visit to +Ringstetten. Presently, just as they were on the point of fixing the +day for their common departure, a tall man approached them from the +middle of the square, bowed respectfully to the company, and said +something in the ear of the young wife. Displeased as she was at the +interruption and its cause, she stepped a little aside with the +stranger, and both began to whisper together, as it seemed, in a +foreign tongue. Huldbrand fancied he knew the strange man, and he +stared so fixedly at him that he neither heard nor answered +Bertalda's astonished inquiries. +</P> + +<P> +All at once Undine, clapping her hands joyfully, and laughing, +quitted the stranger's side, who, shaking his head, retired hastily +and discontentedly, and vanished in the fountain. Huldbrand now felt +certain on the point, but Bertalda asked: "And what did the master +of the fountain want with you, dear Undine?" +</P> + +<P> +The young wife laughed within herself, and replied: "The day after +to-morrow, my dear child, on the anniversary of your name-day, you +shall know it." And nothing more would she disclose. She invited +Bertalda and sent an invitation to her foster-parents, to dine with +them on the appointed day, and soon after they parted. +</P> + +<P> +"Kuhleborn? was it Kuhleborn?" said Huldbrand, with a secret +shudder, to his beautiful bride, when they had taken leave of +Bertalda, and were now going home through the darkening streets. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, it was he," replied Undine, "and he was going to say all sorts +of nonsensical things to me. But, in the midst, quite contrary to +his intention, he delighted me with a most welcome piece of news. If +you wish to hear it at once, my dear lord and husband, you have but +to command, and I will tell it you without reserve. But if you would +confer a real pleasure on your Undine, you will wait till the day +after to-morrow, and you will then have your share too in the +surprise." +</P> + +<P> +The knight gladly complied with his wife's desire, which had been +urged so sweetly, and as she fell asleep, she murmured smilingly to +herself: "Dear, dear Bertalda! How she will rejoice and be +astonished at what her master of the fountain told me!" +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap11"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XI. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE ANNIVERSARY OF BERTALDA'S NAME-DAY. +</H3> + +<P> +The company were sitting at dinner; Bertalda, looking like some +goddess of spring with her flowers and jewels, the presents of her +foster-parents and friends, was placed between Undine and Huldbrand. +When the rich repast was ended, and the last course had appeared, +the doors were left open, according to a good old German custom, +that the common people might look on, and take part in the festivity +of the nobles. Servants were carrying round cake and wine among the +spectators. Huldbrand and Bertalda were waiting with secret +impatience for the promised explanation, and sat with their eyes +fixed steadily on Undine. But the beautiful wife still continued +silent, and only kept smiling to herself with secret and hearty +satisfaction. All who knew of the promise she had given could see +that she was every moment on the point of betraying her happy +secret, and that it was with a sort of longing renunciation that she +withheld it, just as children sometimes delay the enjoyment of their +choicest morsels. Bertalda and Huldbrand shared this delightful +feeling, and expected with fearful hope the tidings which were to +fall from the lips of Undine. Several of the company pressed Undine +to sing. The request seemed opportune, and ordering her lute to be +brought, she sang the following words:— +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Bright opening day,<BR> + Wild flowers so gay,<BR> + Tall grasses their thirst that slake,<BR> + On the banks of the billowy lake!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + What glimmers there so shining<BR> + The reedy growth entwining?<BR> + Is it a blossom white as snow<BR> + Fallen from heav'n here below?<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + It is an infant, frail and dear!<BR> + With flowerets playing in its dreams<BR> + And grasping morning's golden beams;<BR> + Oh! whence, sweet stranger, art thou here?<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + From some far-off and unknown strand,<BR> + The lake has borne thee to this land.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Nay, grasp not tender little one,<BR> + With thy tiny hand outspread;<BR> + No hand will meet thy touch with love,<BR> + Mute is that flowery bed.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + The flowers can deck themselves so fair<BR> + And breathe forth fragrance blest,<BR> + Yet none can press thee to itself,<BR> + Like that far-off mother's breast.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + So early at the gate of life,<BR> + With smiles of heav'n on thy brow,<BR> + Thou hast the best of treasures lost,<BR> + Poor wand'ring child, nor know'st it now.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + A noble duke comes riding by,<BR> + And near thee checks his courser's speed,<BR> + And full of ardent chivalry<BR> + He bears thee home upon his steed.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Much, endless much, has been thy gain!<BR> + Thou bloom'st the fairest in the land!<BR> + Yet ah! the priceless joy of all,<BR> + Thou'st left upon an unknown strand.<BR> +</P> + +<P> +Undine dropped her lute with a melancholy smile, and the eyes of +Bertalda's foster-parents were filled with tears. "Yes, so it was on +the morning that I found you, my poor sweet orphan," said the duke, +deeply agitated; "the beautiful singer is certainly right; we have +not been able to give you that `priceless joy of all.'" +</P> + +<P> +"But we must also hear how it fared with the poor parents," said +Undine, as she resumed her lute, and sang:— +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Thro' every chamber roams the mother,<BR> + Moves and searches everywhere,<BR> + Seeks, she scarce knows what, with sadness,<BR> + And finds an empty house is there.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + An empty house! Oh, word of sorrow,<BR> + To her who once had been so blest,<BR> + Who led her child about by day<BR> + And cradled it at night to rest.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + The beech is growing green again,<BR> + The sunshine gilds its wonted spot,<BR> + But mother, cease thy searching vain!<BR> + Thy little loved one cometh not.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + And when the breath of eve blows cool,<BR> + And father in his home appears,<BR> + The smile he almost tries to wear<BR> + Is quenched at once by gushing tears.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Full well he knows that in his home<BR> + He naught can find but wild despair,<BR> + He hears the mother's grieved lament<BR> + And no bright infant greets him there.<BR> +</P> + +<P> +"Oh! for God's sake, Undine, where are my parents?" cried the weeping +Bertalda; "you surely know; you have discovered them, you wonderful +being, for otherwise you would not have thus torn me heart. Are they +perhaps already here? Can it be?" Her eye passed quickly over the +brilliant company and lingered on a lady of high rank who was +sitting next her foster-father. Undine, however, turned toward the +door, while her eyes overflowed with the sweetest emotion. "Where +are the poor waiting parents?" she inquired, and, the old fisherman +and his wife advanced hesitatingly from the crowd of spectators. +Their glance rested inquiringly now on Undine, now on the beautiful +girl who was said to be their daughter "It is she," said the +delighted benefactress, in a faltering tone, and the two old people +hung round the neck of their recovered child, weeping and praising +God. +</P> + +<P> +But amazed and indignant, Bertalda tore herself from their embrace. +Such a recognition was too much for this proud mind, at a moment +when she had surely imagined that her former splendor would even be +increased, and when hope was deluding her with a vision of almost +royal honors. It seemed to her as if her rival had devised all this +on purpose signally to humble her before Huldbrand and the whole +world. She reviled Undine, she reviled the old people, and bitter +invectives, such as "deceiver" and "bribed impostors," fell from her +lips. Then the old fisherman's wife said in a low voice to herself: +"Ah me, she is become a wicked girl; and yet I feel in my heart that +she is my child." +</P> + +<P> +The old fisherman, however, had folded his hands, and was praying +silently that this might not be his daughter. Undine, pale as death, +turned with agitation from the parents to Bertalda, and from +Bertalda to the parents; suddenly cast down from that heaven of +happiness of which she had dreamed, and overwhelmed with a fear and +a terror such as she had never known even in imagination. "Have you +a soul? Have you really a soul, Bertalda?" she cried again and again +to her angry friend, as if forcibly to rouse her to consciousness +from some sudden delirium or maddening nightmare. But when Bertalda +only became more and more enraged, when the repulsed parents began +to weep aloud, and the company, in eager dispute, were taking +different sides, she begged in such a dignified and serious manner +to be allowed to speak in this her husband's hall, that all around +were in a moment silenced. She then advanced to the upper end of the +table, where Bertalda has seated herself, and with a modest and yet +proud air, while every eye was fixed upon her, she spoke as +follows:— +</P> + +<P> +"My friends, you look so angry and disturbed and you have +interrupted my happy feast by your disputings. Ah! I knew nothing of +your foolish habits and your heartless mode of thinking, and I shall +never all my life long become accustomed to them. It is not my fault +that this affair has resulted in evil; believe me, the fault is with +yourselves alone, little as it may appear to you to be so. I have +therefore but little to say to you, but one thing I must say: I have +spoken nothing but truth. I neither can nor will give you proofs +beyond my own assertion, but I will swear to the truth of this. I +received this information from the very person who allured Bertalda +into the water, away from her parents, and who afterward placed her +on the green meadow in the duke's path." +</P> + +<P> +"She is an enchantress!" cried Bertalda, "a witch, who has +intercourse with evil spirits. She acknowledges it herself." +</P> + +<P> +"I do not," said Undine, with a whole heaven innocence and +confidence beaming, in her eyes. "I am no witch; only look at me." +</P> + +<P> +"She is false and boastful," interrupted Bertalda, "and she cannot +prove that I am the child of these low people. My noble parents, I +beg you to take me from this company and out of this city, where +they are only bent on insulting me." +</P> + +<P> +But the aged and honorable duke remained unmoved, and his wife, +said: "We must thoroughly examine how we are to act. God forbid that +we should move a step from this hall until we have done so." +</P> + +<P> +Then the old wife of the fisherman drew near, and making a low +reverence to the duchess, she said: "Noble, god-fearing lady, you +have opened my heart. I must tell you, if this evil-disposed young +lady is my daughter, she has a mark, like a violet, between her +shoulders, and another like it on the instep of her left foot. If +she would only go out of the hall with me!" +</P> + +<P> +"I shall not uncover myself before the peasant woman!" exclaimed +Bertalda, proudly turning her back on her. +</P> + +<P> +"But before me you will." rejoined the duchess, very gravely. +"Follow me into that room, girl, and the good old woman shall come +with us." The three disappeared, and the rest of the company +remained where they were, in silent expectation. After a short time +they returned; Bertalda was pale as death. "Right is right." said +the duchess; "I must therefore declare that our hostess has spoken +perfect, truth. Bertalda is the fisherman's daughter, and that is as +much as it is necessary to inform you here." +</P> + +<P> +The princely pair left with their adopted daughter; and at a sign +from the duke, the fisherman and his wife followed them. The other +guests retired in silence or with secret murmurs, and Undine sank +weeping into Huldbrand's arms. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap12"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XII. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THEY DEPARTED FROM THE IMPERIAL CITY. +</H3> + +<P> +The lord of Ringstetten would have certainly preferred the events of +this day to have been different; but even as they were, he could +scarcely regret them wholly, as they had exhibited his charming wife +under such a good and sweet and kindly aspect. "If I have given her +a soul," he could not help saying to himself, "I have indeed given +her a better one than my own;" and his only thought now was to speak +soothingly to the weeping Undine, and on the following morning to +quit with her a place which, after this incident, must have become +distasteful to her. It is true that she was not estimated +differently to what she had been. As something mysterious had long +been expected of her, the strange discovery of Bertalda's origin had +caused no great surprise, and every one who had heard the story and +had seen Bertalda's violent behavior, was disgusted with her alone. +Of this, however, the knight and his lady knew nothing as yet; and, +besides, the condemnation or approval of the public was equally +painful to Undine, and thus there was no better course to pursue +than to leave the walls of the old city behind them with all the +speed possible. +</P> + +<P> +With the earliest beams of morning a pretty carriage drove up to the +entrance gate for Undine: the horses which Huldbrand and his squires +were to ride stood near, pawing the ground with impatient eagerness. +The knight was leading his beautiful wife from the door, when a +fisher-girl crossed their way. "We do not need your fish," said +Huldbrand to her, "we are now starting on our journey." Upon this +the fisher-girl began to weep bitterly, and the young couple +perceived for the first time that it was Bertalda. They immediately +returned with her to their apartment, and learned from her that the +duke and duchess were so displeased at her violent and unfeeling +conduct on the preceding way, that they had entirely withdrawn their +protection from her, though not without giving her a rich portion. +</P> + +<P> +The fisherman, too, had been handsomely rewarded, and had the +evening before set out with his wife to return to their secluded +home. +</P> + +<P> +"I would have gone with them," she continued, "but the old +fisherman, who is said to be my father"— +</P> + +<P> +"And he is so indeed, Bertalda," interrupted Undine. "Look here, the +stranger, whom you took for the master of the fountain, told me the +whole story in detail. He wished to dissuade me from taking you with +me to castle Ringstetten, and this led him to disclose the secret." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, then," said Bertalda, "if it must be so, my father said, 'I +will not take you with me until you are changed. Venture to come to +us alone through the haunted forest; that shall be the proof whether +you have any regard for us. But do not come to me as a lady; come +only as a fisher-girl!' So I will do just as he has told me, for I +am forsaken by the whole world, and I will live and die in solitude +as a poor fisher-girl, with my poor parents. I have a terrible dread +though of the forest. Horrible spectres are said to dwell in it, and +I am so fearful. But how can I help it? I only came here to implore +pardon of the noble lady of Ringstetten for my unbecoming behavior +yesterday. I feel sure, sweet lady, you meant to do me a kindness, +but you knew not how you would wound me, and in my agony and +surprise, many a rash and frantic expression passed my lips. Oh +forgive, forgive! I am already so unhappy. Only think yourself what +I was yesterday morning, yesterday at the beginning of your banquet, +and what I am now!" +</P> + +<P> +Her voice became stifled with a passionate flood of tears, and +Undine, also weeping bitterly, fell on her neck. It was some time +before the deeply agitated Undine could utter a word; at length she +said:— +</P> + +<P> +"You can go with us to Ringstetten; everything shall remain as it +was arranged before; only do not speak to me again as 'noble lady.' +You see, we were exchanged for each other as children; our faces +even then sprang as it were from the same stem, and we will now so +strengthen this kindred destiny that no human power shall be able to +separate it. Only, first of all, come with us to Ringstetten. We +will discuss there how we shall share all things as sisters." +</P> + +<P> +Bertalda looked timidly toward Huldbrand. He pitied the beautiful +girl in her distress, and offering her his hand he begged her +tenderly to intrust herself with him and his wife. "We will send a +message to your parents," he continued, "to tell them why you are +not come;" and he would have added more with regard to the worthy +fisherman and his wife, but he saw that Bertalda shrunk with pain +from the mention of their name, and he therefore refrained from +saying more. +</P> + +<P> +He then assisted her first into the carriage, Undine followed her; +and he mounted his horse and trotted merrily by the side of them, +urging the driver at the same time to hasten his speed, so that very +soon they were beyond the confines of the imperial city and all its +sad remembrances; and now the ladies began to enjoy the beautiful +country through which their road lay. +</P> + +<P> +After a journey of some days, they arrived one exquisite evening, at +castle Ringstetten. The young knight had much to hear from his +overseers and vassals, so that Undine and Bertalda were left alone. +</P> + +<P> +They both repaired to the ramparts of the fortress, and were +delighted with the beautiful landscape which spread far and wide +through fertile Swabia. +</P> + +<P> +Presently a tall man approached them, greeting them respectfully, +and Bertalda fancied she saw a resemblance to the master of the +fountain in the imperial city. Still more unmistakable grew the +likeness, when Undine angrily and almost threateningly waved him +off, and he retreated with hasty steps and shaking head, as he had +done before, and disappeared into a neighboring copse. Undine, +however, said: +</P> + +<P> +"Don't be afraid, dear Bertalda, this time the hateful master of the +fountain shall do you no harm." And then she told her the whole +story in detail, and who she was herself, and how Bertalda had been +taken away from the fisherman and his wife, and Undine had gone to +them. The girl was at first terrified with this relation; she +imagined her friend must be seized with sudden madness, but she +became more convinced that all was true, for Undine's story was so +connected, and fitted so well with former occurrences, and still +more she had that inward feeling with which truth never fails to +make itself known to us. It seemed strange to her that she was now +herself living, as it were, in the midst of one of those fairy tales +to which she had formerly only listened. +</P> + +<P> +She gazed upon Undine with reverence, but she could not resist a +sense of dread that seemed to come between her and her friend, and +at their evening repast she could not but wonder how the knight +could behave so lovingly and kindly toward a being who appeared to +her, since the discovery she had just made, more of a phantom than a +human being. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap13"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XIII. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THEY LIVED AT CASTLE RINGSTETTEN. +</H3> + +<P> +The writer of this story, both because it moves his own heart, and +because he wishes it to move that of others, begs you, dear reader, +to pardon him, if he now briefly passes over a considerable space of +time, only cursorily mentioning the events that marked it. He knows +well that he might portray skilfully, step by step, how Huldbrand's +heart began to turn from Undine to Bertalda; how Bertalda more and +more responded with ardent affection to the young knight, and how +they both looked upon the poor wife as a mysterious being rather to +be feared than pitied; how Undine wept, and how her tears stung the +knight's heart with remorse without awakening his former love, so +that though he at times was kind and endearing to her, a cold +shudder would soon draw him from her, and he would turn to his +fellow-mortal, Bertalda. All this the writer knows might be fully +detailed, and perhaps ought to have been so; but such a task would +have been too painful, for similar things have been known to him by +sad experience, and he shrinks from their shadow even in +remembrance. You know probably a like feeling, dear reader, for such +is the lot of mortal man. Happy are you if you have received rather +than inflicted the pain, for in such things it is more blessed to +receive than to give. If it be so, such recollections will only +bring a feeling of sorrow to your mind, and perhaps a tear will +trickle down your cheek over the faded flowers that once caused you +such delight. But let that be enough. We will not pierce our hearts +with a thousand separate things, but only briefly state, as I have +just said, how matters were. +</P> + +<P> +Poor Undine was very sad, and the other two were not to be called +happy. Bertalda especially thought that she could trace the effect +of jealousy on the part of the injured wife whenever her wishes were +in any way thwarted by her. She had therefore habituated herself to +an imperious demeanor, to which Undine yielded in sorrowful +submission, and the now blinded Huldbrand usually encouraged this +arrogant behavior in the strongest manner. But the circumstance that +most of all disturbed the inmates of the castle, was a variety of +wonderful apparitions which met Huldbrand and Bertalda in the +vaulted galleries of the castle, and which had never been heard of +before as haunting the locality. The tall white man, in whom +Huldbrand recognized only too plainly Uncle Kuhleborn, and Bertalda +the spectral master of the fountain, often passed before them with a +threatening aspect, and especially before Bertalda; so much so, that +she had already several times been made ill with terror, and had +frequently thought of quitting the castle. But still she stayed +there, partly because Huldbrand was so dear to her, and she relied +on her innocence, no words of love having ever passed between them, +and partly also because she knew not whither to direct her steps. +The old fisherman, on receiving the message from the lord of +Ringstetten that Bertalda was his guest, had written a few lines in +an almost illegible hand, but as good as his advanced age and long +dis-would admit of. +</P> + +<P> +"I have now become," he wrote, "a poor old widower, for my dear and +faithful wife is dead. However lonely I now sit in my cottage, +Bertalda is better with you than with me. Only let her do nothing to +harm my beloved Undine! She will have my curse if it be so." The +last words of this letter, Bertalda flung to the winds, but she +carefully retained the part respecting her absence from her +father—just as we are all wont to do in similar circumstances. +</P> + +<P> +One day, when Huldbrand had just ridden out, Undine summoned +together the domestics of the family, and ordered them to bring a +large stone, and carefully to cover with it the magnificent fountain +which stood in the middle of the castle-yard. The servants objected +that it would oblige them to bring water from the valley below. +Undine smiled sadly. "I am sorry, my people," she replied, "to +increase your work. I would rather myself fetch up the pitchers, but +this fountain must be closed. Believe me that it cannot be +otherwise, and that it is only by so doing that we can avoid a +greater evil." +</P> + +<P> +The whole household were glad to be able to please their gentle +mistress; they made no further inquiry, but seized the enormous +stone. They were just raising it in their hands, and were already +poising it over the fountain, when Bertalda came running up, and +called out to them to stop, as it was from this fountain that the +water was brought which was so good for her complexion, and she +would never consent to its being closed. Undine, however, although +gentle as usual, was more than usually firm. She told Bertalda that +it was her due, as mistress of the house, to arrange her household +as she thought best, and that, in this, she was accountable to no +one but her lord and husband. "See, oh, pray see," exclaimed +Bertalda, in an angry, yet uneasy tone, "how the poor beautiful +water is curling and writhing at being shut out from the bright +sunshine and from the cheerful sight of the human face, for whose +mirror it was created!" +</P> + +<P> +The water in the fountain was indeed wonderfully agitated and +hissing; it seemed as if something within were struggling to free +itself, but Undine only the more earnestly urged the fulfilment of +her orders. The earnestness was scarcely needed. The servants of the +castle were as happy in obeying their gentle mistress as in opposing +Bertalda's haughty defiance; and in spite of all the rude scolding +and threatening of the latter the stone was soon firmly lying over +the opening of the fountain. Undine leaned thoughtfully over it, and +wrote with her beautiful fingers on its surface. She must, however, +have had something very sharp and cutting in her hand, for when she +turned away, and the servants drew near to examine the stone, they +perceived various strange characters upon it, which none of them had +seen there before. +</P> + +<P> +Bertalda received the knight, on his return home in the evening, +with tears and complaints of Undine's conduct. He cast a serious +look at his poor wife, and she looked down as if distressed. Yet she +said with great composure: "My lord and husband does not reprove +even a bondslave without a hearing, how much less then, his wedded +wife?" +</P> + +<P> +"Speak," said the knight with a gloomy countenance, "what induced +you to act so strangely?" +</P> + +<P> +"I should like to tell you when we are quite alone," sighed Undine. +</P> + +<P> +"You can tell me just as well in Bertalda's presence," was the +rejoinder. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, if you command me," said Undine; "but command it not. Oh pray, +pray command it not!" +</P> + +<P> +She looked so humble, so sweet, and obedient, that the knight's +heart felt a passing gleam from better times. He kindly placed her +arm within his own, and led her to his apartment, when she began to +speak as follows:— +</P> + +<P> +"You already know, my beloved lord, something of my evil uncle, +Kuhleborn, and you have frequently been displeased at meeting him in +the galleries of this castle. He has several times frightened +Bertalda into illness. This is because he is devoid of soul, a mere +elemental mirror of the outward world, without the power of +reflecting the world within. He sees, too, sometimes, that you are +dissatisfied with me; that I, in my childishness, am weeping at +this, and that Bertalda perhaps is at the very same moment laughing. +Hence he imagines various discrepancies in our home life, and in +many ways mixes unbidden with our circle. What is the good of +reproving him? What is the use of sending him angrily away? He does +not believe a word I say. His poor nature has no idea that the joys +and sorrows of love have so sweet a resemblance, and are so closely +linked that no power can separate them. Amid tears a smile shines +forth, and a smile allures tears from their secret chambers." +</P> + +<P> +She looked up at Huldbrand, smiling and weeping; and he again +experienced within his heart all the charm of his old love. She felt +this, and pressing him more tenderly to her, she continued amid +tears of joy:— +</P> + +<P> +"As the disturber of our peace was not to be dismissed with words, I +have been obliged to shut the door upon him. And the only door by +which he obtains access to us is that fountain. He is cut off by the +adjacent valleys from the other water-spirits in the neighborhood, +and his kingdom only commences further off on the Danube, into which +some of his good friends direct their course. For this reason I had +the stone placed over the opening of the fountain, and I inscribed +characters upon it which cripple all my uncle's power, so that he +can now neither intrude upon you, nor upon me, nor upon Bertalda. +Human beings, it is true, can raise the stone again with ordinary +effort, in spite of the characters inscribed on it. The inscription +does not hinder them. If you wish, therefore, follow Bertalda's +desire, but, truly! she knows not what she asks. The rude Kuhleborn +has set his mark especially upon her; and if much came to pass which +he has predicted to me, and which might, indeed, happen without your +meaning any evil, ah! dear one, even you would then be exposed to +danger!" +</P> + +<P> +Huldbrand felt deeply the generosity of his sweet wife, in her +eagerness to shut up her formidable protector, while she had even +been chided for it by Bertalda. He pressed her in his arms with the +utmost affection, and said with emotion: "The stone shall remain, +and all shall remain, now and ever, as you wish to have it, my sweet +Undine." +</P> + +<P> +She caressed him with humble delight, as she heard the expressions +of love so long withheld, and then at length she said: "My dearest +husband, you are so gentle and kind to-day, may I venture to ask a +favor of you? See now, it is just the same with you as it is with +summer. In the height of its glory, summer puts on the flaming and +thundering crown of mighty storms, and assumes the air of a king +over the earth. You, too, sometimes, let your fury rise, and your +eyes flash and your voice is angry, and this becomes you well, +though I, in my folly, may sometimes weep at it. But never, I pray +you, behave thus toward me on the water, or even when we are near +it. You see, my relatives would then acquire a right over me. They +would unrelentingly tear me from you in their rage; because they +would imagine that one of their race was injured, and I should be +compelled all my life to dwell below in the crystal palaces, and +should never dare to ascend to you again; or they would send me up +to you—and that, oh God, would be infinitely worse. No, no, my +beloved husband, do not let it come to that, if your poor Undine is +dear to you." +</P> + +<P> +He promised solemnly to do as she desired, and they both returned +from the apartment, full of happiness and affection. At that moment +Bertalda appeared with some workmen, to whom she had already given +orders, and said in a sullen tone, which she had assumed of late: "I +suppose the secret conference is at an end, and now the stone may be +removed. Go out, workmen, and attend to it." +</P> + +<P> +But the knight, angry at her impertinence, desired in short and very +decisive words that the stone should be left: he reproved Bertalda, +too, for her violence toward his wife. Whereupon the workmen +withdrew, smiling with secret satisfaction: while Bertalda, pale +with rage, hurried away to her room. +</P> + +<P> +The hour for the evening repast arrived, and Bertalda they waited for +in vain. They sent after her, but the domestic found her apartments +empty, and only brought back with him a sealed letter addressed to +the knight. He opened it with alarm, and read: "I feel with shame +that I am only a poor fisher-girl. I will expiate my fault in having +forgotten this for a moment by going to the miserable cottage of my +parents. Farewell to you and your beautiful wife." +</P> + +<P> +Undine was heartily distressed. She earnestly entreated Huldbrand to +hasten after their friend and bring her back again. Alas! she had no +need to urge him. His affection for Bertalda burst forth again with +vehemence. He hurried round the castle, inquiring if any one had +seen which way the fugitive had gone. He could learn nothing of her, +and he was already on his horse in the castle-yard, resolved at a +venture to take the road by which he had brought Bertalda hither. +Just then a page appeared, who assured him that he had met the lady +on the path to the Black Valley. Like an arrow the knight sprang +through the gateway in the direction indicated, without hearing +Undine's voice of agony, as she called to him from the window:— +</P> + +<P> +"To the Black Valley! Oh, not there! Huldbrand, don't go there! or, +for heaven's sake, take me with you!" But when she perceived that +all her calling was in vain, she ordered her white palfrey to be +immediately saddled, and rode after the knight, without allowing any +servant to accompany her. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap14"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XIV. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW BERTALDA RETURNED HOME WITH THE KNIGHT. +</H3> + +<P> +The Black Valley lies deep within the mountains. What it is now +called we do not know. At that time the people of the country gave +it this appellation on account of the deep obscurity in which the +low land lay, owing to the shadows of the lofty trees, and +especially firs, that grew there. Even the brook which bubbled +between the rocks wore the same dark hue, and dashed along with none +of that gladness with which streams are wont to flow that have the +blue sky immediately above them. Now, in the growing twilight of +evening, it looked wild and gloomy between the heights. The knight +trotted anxiously along the edge of the brook, fearful at one moment +that by delay he might allow the fugitive to advance too far, and at +the next that by too great rapidity he might overlook her in case +she were concealing herself from him. Meanwhile he had already +penetrated tolerably far into the valley, and might soon hope to +overtake the maiden, if he were on the right track. The fear that +this might not be the case made his heart beat with anxiety. Where +would the tender Bertalda tarry through the stormy night, which was +so fearful in the valley, should he fail to find her? At length he +saw something white gleaming through the branches on the slope of +the mountain. He thought he recognized Bertalda's dress, and he +turned his course in that direction. But his horse refused to go +forward; it reared impatiently; and its master, unwilling to lose a +moment, and seeing moreover that the copse was impassable on +horseback, dismounted; and, fastening his snorting steed to an +elm-tree, he worked his way cautiously through the bushes. The branches +sprinkled his forehead and cheeks with the cold drops of the evening +dew; a distant roll of thunder was heard murmuring from the other +side of the mountains; everything looked so strange that he began to +feel a dread of the white figure, which now lay only a short +distance from him on the ground. Still he could plainly see that it +was a female, either asleep or in a swoon, and that she was attired +in long white garments, such as Bertalda had worn on that day. He +stepped close up to her, made a rustling with the branches, and let +his sword clatter, but she moved not. "Bertalda!" he exclaimed, at +first in a low voice, and then louder and louder—still she heard +not. At last, when he uttered the dear name with a more powerful +effort, a hollow echo from the mountain-caverns of the valley +indistinctly reverberated "Bertalda!" but still the sleeper woke +not. He bent down over her; the gloom of the valley and the +obscurity of approaching night would not allow him to distinguish +her features. +</P> + +<P> +Just as he was stooping closer over her, with a feeling of painful +doubt, a flash of lightning shot across the valley, and he saw +before him a frightfully distorted countenance, and a hollow voice +exclaimed: "Give me a kiss, you enamoured swain!" +</P> + +<P> +Huldbrand sprang up with a cry of horror, and the hideous figure +rose with him. "Go home!" it murmured; "wizards are on the watch. Go +home! or I will have you!" and it stretched out its long white arms +toward him. +</P> + +<P> +"Malicious Kuhleborn!" cried the knight, recovering himself, "What +do you concern me, you goblin? There, take your kiss!" And he +furiously hurled his sword at the figure. But it vanished like +vapor, and a gush of water which wetted him through left the knight +no doubt as to the foe with whom he had been engaged. +</P> + +<P> +"He wishes to frighten me back from Bertalda," said he aloud to +himself; "he thinks to terrify me with his foolish tricks, and to +make me give up the poor distressed girl to him, so that he can +wreak his vengeance on her. But he shall not do that, weak spirit of +the elements as he is. No powerless phantom can understand what a +human heart can do when its best energies are aroused." He felt the +truth of his words, and that the very expression of them had +inspired his heart with fresh courage. It seemed too as if fortune +were on his side, for he had not reached his fastened horse, when he +distinctly heard Bertalda's plaintive voice not far distant, and +could catch her weeping accents through the ever-increasing tumult +of the thunder and tempest. He hurried swiftly in the direction of +the sound, and found the trembling girl just attempting to climb the +steep, in order to escape in any way from the dreadful gloom of the +valley. He stepped, however, lovingly in her path, and bold and +proud as her resolve had before been, she now felt only too keenly +the delight, that the friend whom she so passionately loved should +rescue her from this frightful solitude, and that the joyous life in +the castle should be again open to her. She followed almost +unresisting, but so exhausted with fatigue that the knight was glad +to have brought her to his horse, which he now hastily unfastened, +in order to lift the fair fugitive upon it; and then, cautiously +holding the reins, he hoped to proceed through the uncertain shades +of the valley. +</P> + +<P> +But the horse had become quite unmanageable from the wild apparition +of Kuhleborn. Even the knight would have had difficulty in mounting +the rearing and snorting animal, but to place the trembling Bertalda +on its back was perfectly impossible. They determined, therefore, to +return home on foot. Drawing the horse after him by the bridle, the +knight supported the tottering girl with his other hand. Bertalda +exerted all her strength to pass quickly through the fearful valley, +but weariness weighed her down like lead, and every limb trembled, +partly from the terror she had endured when Kuhleborn had pursued +her, and partly from her continued alarm at the howling of the storm +and the pealing of the thunder through the wooded mountain. +</P> + +<P> +At last she slid from the supporting arm of her protector, and +sinking down on the moss, she exclaimed: "Let me lie here, my noble +lord; I suffer the punishment due to my folly, and I must now perish +here through weariness and dread." +</P> + +<P> +"No, sweet friend, I will never leave you!" cried Huldbrand, vainly +endeavoring to restrain his furious steed; for, worse than before, +it now began to foam and rear with excitement, until at last the +knight was glad to keep the animal at a sufficient distance from the +exhausted maiden lest her fears should be increased. But scarcely +had he withdrawn a few paces with the wild steed, than she began to +call after him in the most pitiful manner, believing that he was +really going to leave her in this horrible wilderness. He was +utterly at a loss what course to take. Gladly would he have given +the excited beast its liberty and have allowed it to rush away into +the night and spend its fury, had he not feared that is this narrow +defile it might come thundering with its iron-shod hoofs over the +very spot where Bertalda lay. +</P> + +<P> +In the midst of this extreme perplexity and distress, he heard with +delight the sound of a vehicle driving slowly down the stony road +behind them. He called out for help; and a man's voice replied, +bidding him have patience, but promising assistance; and soon after, +two gray horses appeared through the bushes, and beside them the +driver in the white smock of a carter; a great white linen cloth was +next visible, covering the goods apparently contained in the wagon. +At a loud shout from their master, the obedient horses halted. The +driver then came toward the knight, and helped him in restraining +his foaming animal. +</P> + +<P> +"I see well," said he, "what ails the beast. When I first travelled +this way, my horses were no better. The fact is, there is an evil +water-spirit haunting the place, and he takes delight in this sort +of mischief. But I have learned a charm; if you will let me whisper +it in your horse's ear, he will stand at once just as quiet as my +gray beasts are doing there." +</P> + +<P> +"Try your luck then, only help us quickly!" exclaimed the impatient +knight. The wagoner then drew down the head of the rearing charger +close to his own, and whispered something in his ear. In a moment +the animal stood still and quiet, and his quick panting and reeking +condition was all that remained of his previous unmanageableness. +Huldbrand had no time to inquire how all this had been effected. He +agreed with the carter that he should take Bertalda on his wagon, +where, as the man assured him, there were a quantity of soft +cotton-bales, upon which she could be conveyed to castle Ringstetten, and +the knight was to accompany them on horseback. But the horse +appeared too much exhausted by its past fury to be able to carry its +master so far, so the carter persuaded Huldbrand to get into the +wagon with Bertalda. The horse could be fastened on behind. "We are +going down hill," said he, "and that will make it light for my gray +beasts." +</P> + +<P> +The knight accepted the offer and entered the wagon with Bertalda; +the horse followed patiently behind, and the wagoner, steady and +attentive, walked by the side. +</P> + +<P> +In the stillness of the night, as its darkness deepened and the +subsiding tempest sounded more and more remote, encouraged by the +sense of security and their fortunate escape, a confidential +conversation arose between Huldbrand and Bertalda. With flattering +words he reproached her for her daring flight; she excused herself +with humility and emotion, and from every word she said a gleam +shone forth which disclosed distinctly to the lover that the beloved +was his. The knight felt the sense of her words far more than he +regarded their meaning, and it was the sense alone to which he +replied. Presently the wagoner suddenly shouted with loud voice,— +</P> + +<P> +"Up, my grays, up with your feet, keep together! remember who you +are!" +</P> + +<P> +The knight leaned out of the wagon and saw that the horses were +stepping into the midst of a foaming stream or were already almost +swimming, while the wheels of the wagon were rushing round and +gleaming like mill-wheels, and the wagoner had got up in front, in +consequence of the increasing waters. +</P> + +<P> +"What sort of a road is this? It goes into the middle of the +stream." cried Huldbrand to his guide. +</P> + +<P> +"Not at all, sir." returned the other, laughing, "it is just the +reverse, the stream goes into the very middle of our road. Look +round and see how everything is covered by the water." +</P> + +<P> +The whole valley indeed was suddenly filled with the surging flood, +that visibly increased. "It is Kuhleborn, the evil water-spirit, who +wishes to drown us!" exclaimed the knight. "Have you no charm, +against him, my friend?" +</P> + +<P> +"I know indeed of one," returned the wagoner, "but I cannot and may +not use it until you know who I am." +</P> + +<P> +"Is this a time for riddles?" cried the knight. "The flood is ever +rising higher, and what does it matter to me to know who you are?" +</P> + +<P> +"It does matter to you, though," said the wagoner, "for I am +Kuhleborn." +</P> + +<P> +So saying, he thrust his distorted face into the wagon with a grin, +but the wagon was a wagon no longer, the horses were not horses—all +was transformed to foam and vanished in the hissing waves, and even +the wagoner himself, rising as a gigantic billow, drew down the +vainly struggling horse beneath the waters, and then swelling higher +and higher, swept over the heads of the floating pair, like some +liquid tower, threatening to bury them irrecoverably. +</P> + +<P> +Just then the soft voice of Undine sounded through the uproar, the +moon emerged from the clouds, and by its light Undine was seen on +the heights above the valley. She rebuked, she threatened the floods +below; the menacing, tower-like wave vanished, muttering and +murmuring, the waters flowed gently away in the moonlight, and like +a white dove, Undine flew down from the height, seized the knight +and Bertalda, and bore them with her to a fresh, green, turfy spot +on the hill, where with choice refreshing restoratives, she +dispelled their terrors and weariness; then she assisted Bertalda to +mount the white palfrey, on which she had herself ridden here, and +thus all three returned back to castle Ringstetten. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap15"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XV. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE JOURNEY TO VIENNA. +</H3> + +<P> +After this last adventure, they lived quietly and happily at the +castle. The knight more and more perceived the heavenly goodness of +his wife, which had been so nobly exhibited by her pursuit, and by +her rescue of them in the Black Valley, where Kuhleborn's power +again commenced; Undine herself felt that peace and security, which +is never lacking to a mind so long as it is distinctly conscious of +being on the right path, and besides, in the newly-awakened love and +esteem of her husband, many a gleam of hope and joy shone upon her. +Bertalda, on the other hand, showed herself grateful, humble and +timid, without regarding her conduct as anything meritorious. +Whenever Huldbrand or Undine were about to give her any explanation +regarding the covering of the fountain or the adventure in the Black +Valley, she would earnestly entreat them to spare her the recital, +as she felt too much shame at the recollection of the fountain, and +too much fear at the remembrance of the Black Valley. She learned +therefore nothing further of either; and for what end was such +knowledge necessary? Peace and joy had visibly taken up their abode +at castle Ringstetten. They felt secure on this point, and imagined +that life could now produce nothing but pleasant flowers and fruits. +</P> + +<P> +In this happy condition of things, winter had come and passed away, +and spring, with its fresh green shoots and its blue sky, was +gladdening the joyous inmates of the castle. Spring was in harmony +with them, and they with spring. What wonder then, that its storks +and swallows inspired them also with a desire to travel? One day +when they were taking a pleasant walk to one of the sources of the +Danube, Huldbrand spoke of the magnificence of the noble river, and +how it widened as it flowed through countries fertilized by its +waters, how the charming city of Vienna shone forth on its banks, +and how with every step of its course it increased in power and +loveliness. +</P> + +<P> +"It must be glorious to go down the river as far as Vienna!" +exclaimed Bertalda, but immediately relapsing into her present +modesty and humility, she paused and blushed deeply. +</P> + +<P> +This touched Undine deeply, and with the liveliest desire to give +pleasure to her friend, she said: "What hinders us from starting on +the little voyage?" +</P> + +<P> +Bertalda exhibited the greatest delight, and both she and Undine +began at once to picture the tour of the Danube in the brightest +colors. Huldbrand also gladly agreed to the prospect; only he once +whispered anxiously in Undine's ear,— +</P> + +<P> +"But Kuhleborn becomes possessed of his power again out there!" +</P> + +<P> +"Let him come," she replied with a smile, "I shall be there, and he +ventures upon none of his mischief before me." The last impediment +was thus removed; they prepared for the journey, and soon after set +out upon it with fresh spirits and the brightest hopes. +</P> + +<P> +But wonder not, oh man, if events always turn out different to what +we have intended. That malicious power, lurking for our destruction, +gladly lulls its chosen victim to sleep with sweet songs and golden +delusions; while on the other hand the rescuing messenger from +Heaven often knocks sharply and alarmingly at our door. +</P> + +<P> +During the first few days of their voyage down the Danube they were +extremely happy. Everything grew more and more beautiful as they +sailed further and further down the proudly flowing stream. But in a +region otherwise so pleasant, and in the enjoyment of which they had +promised themselves the purest delight, the ungovernable Kuhleborn +began, undisguisedly, to exhibit his power of interference. This was +indeed manifested in mere teasing tricks, for Undine often rebuked +the agitated waves, or the contrary winds, and then the violence of +the enemy would be immediately humbled; but again the attacks would +be renewed, and again Undine's reproofs would become necessary, so +that the pleasure of the little party was completely destroyed. The +boatmen too were continually whispering to each other in dismay, and +looking with distrust at the three strangers, whose servants even +began more and more to forebode something uncomfortable, and to +watch their superiors with suspicious glances. Huldbrand often said +to himself: "This comes from like not being linked with like, from a +man uniting himself with a mermaid!" Excusing himself as we all love +to do, he would often think indeed as he said this: "I did not +really know that she was a sea-maiden, mine is the misfortune, that +every step I take is disturbed and haunted by the wild caprices of +her race, but mine is not the fault." By thoughts such as these, he +felt himself in some measure strengthened, but on the other hand, he +felt increasing ill-humor, and almost animosity toward Undine. He +would look at her with an expression of anger, the meaning of which +the poor wife understood well. Wearied with this exhibition of +displeasure, and exhausted by the constant effort to frustrate +Kuhleborn's artifices, she sank one evening into a deep slumber, +rocked soothingly by the softly gliding bark. +</P> + +<P> +Scarcely, however, had she closed her eyes than every one in the +vessel imagined he saw, in whatever direction he turned, a most +horrible human head; it rose out of the waves, not like that of a +person swimming, but perfectly perpendicular as if invisibly +supported upright on the watery surface, and floating along in the +same course with the bark. Each wanted to point out to the other the +cause of his alarm, but each found the same expression of horror +depicted on the face of his neighbor, only that his hands and eyes +were directed to a different point where the monster, half-laughing +and half-threatening, rose before him. When, however, they all +wished to make each other understand what each saw, and all were +crying out: "Look there! No, there!" the horrible heads all at one +and the same time appeared to their view, and the whole river around +the vessel swarmed with the most hideous apparitions. The universal +cry raised at the sight awoke Undine. As she opened her eyes, the +wild crowd of distorted visages disappeared. But Huldbrand was +indignant at such unsightly jugglery. He would have burst forth in +uncontrolled imprecations had not Undine said to him with a humble +manner and a softly imploring tone: "For God's sake, my husband, we +are on the water, do not be angry with me now." +</P> + +<P> +The knight was silent, and sat down absorbed in revery. Undine +whispered in his ear: "Would it not be better, my love, if we gave +up this foolish journey, and returned to castle Ringstetten in +peace?" +</P> + +<P> +But Huldbrand murmured moodily: "So I must be a prisoner in my own +castle, and only be able to breathe so long as the fountain is +closed! I would your mad kindred"—Undine lovingly pressed her fair +hand upon his lips. He paused, pondering in silence over much that +Undine had before said to him. +</P> + +<P> +Bertalda had meanwhile given herself up to a variety of strange +thoughts. She knew a good deal of Undine's origin, and yet not the +whole, and the fearful Kuhleborn especially had remained to her a +terrible but wholly unrevealed mystery. She had indeed never even +heard his name. Musing on these strange things, she unclasped, +scarcely conscious of the act, a gold necklace, which Huldbrand had +lately purchased for her of a travelling trader; half dreamingly she +drew it along the surface of the water, enjoying the light glimmer +it cast upon the evening-tinted stream. Suddenly a huge hand was +stretched out of the Danube, it seized the necklace and vanished +with it beneath the waters. Bertalda screamed aloud, and a scornful +laugh resounded from the depths of the stream. The knight could now +restrain his anger no longer. Starting up, he inveighed against the +river; he cursed all who ventured to interfere with his family and +his life, and challenged them, be they spirits or sirens, to show +themselves before his avenging sword. +</P> + +<P> +Bertalda wept meanwhile for her lost ornament, which was so precious +to her, and her tears added fuel to the flame of the knight's anger, +while Undine held her hand over the side of the vessel, dipping it +into the water, softly murmuring to herself, and only now and then +interrupting her strange mysterious whisper, as she entreated her +husband: "My dearly loved one, do not scold me here; reprove others +if you will, but not me here. You know why!" And indeed, he +restrained the words of anger that were trembling on his tongue. +Presently in her wet hand which she had been holding under the +waves, she brought up a beautiful coral necklace of so much +brilliancy that the eyes of all were dazzled by it. +</P> + +<P> +"Take this," said she, holding it out kindly to Bertalda; "I have +ordered this to be brought for you as a compensation, and don't be +grieved any more, my poor child." +</P> + +<P> +But the knight sprang between them. He tore the beautiful ornament +from Undine's hand, hurled it again into the river, exclaiming in +passionate rage: "Have you then still a connection with them? In the +name of all the witches, remain among them with your presents, and +leave us mortals in peace, you sorceress!" +</P> + +<P> +Poor Undine gazed at him with fixed but tearful eyes, her hand still +stretched out, as when she had offered her beautiful present so +lovingly to Bertalda. She then began to weep more and more +violently, like a dear innocent child bitterly afflicted. At last, +wearied out she said: +</P> + +<P> +"Alas, sweet friend, alas! farewell! They shall do you no harm; only +remain true, so that I may be able to keep them from you. I must, +alas! go away; I must go hence at this early stage of life. Oh woe, +woe! what have you done! Oh woe, woe!" +</P> + +<P> +She vanished over the side of the vessel. Whether she plunged into +the stream, or flowed away with it, they knew not; her disappearance +was like both and neither. Soon, however, she was completely lost +sight of in the Danube; only a few little waves kept whispering, as +if sobbing, round the boat, and they almost seemed to be saying: "Oh +woe, woe! oh remain true! oh woe!" +</P> + +<P> +Huldbrand lay on the deck of the vessel, bathed in hot tears, and a +deep swoon soon cast its veil of forgetfulness over the unhappy man. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap16"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XVI. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW IT FARED FURTHER WITH HULDBRAND. +</H3> + +<P> +Shall we say it is well or ill, that our sorrow is of such short +duration? I mean that deep sorrow which affects the very well-spring +of our life, which becomes so one with the lost objects of our love +that they are no longer lost, and which enshrines their image as a +sacred treasure, until that final goal is reached which they have +reached before us! It is true that many men really maintain these +sacred memories, but their feeling is no longer that of the first +deep grief. Other and new images have thronged between; we learn at +length the transitoriness of all earthly things, even to our grief, +and, therefore. I must say "Alas, that our sorrow should be of such +short duration?" +</P> + +<P> +The lord of Ringstetten experienced this whether for his good, we +shall hear in the sequel to this history. At first he could do +nothing but weep, and that as bitterly as the poor gentle Undine had +wept when he had torn from her hand that brilliant ornament with +which she had wished to set everything to rights. And then he would +stretch out his hand, as she had done, and would weep again, like +her. He cherished the secret hope that he might at length dissolve +in tears; and has not a similar hope passed before the mind of many +a one of us, with painful pleasure, in moments of great affliction? +Bertalda wept also, and they lived a long while quietly together at +Castle Ringstetten, cherishing Undine's memory, and almost wholly +forgetful of their former attachment to each other. And, therefore, +the good Undine often visited Huldbrand in his dreams; caressing him +tenderly and kindly, and then going away, weeping silently, so that +when he awoke he often scarcely knew why his cheeks were so wet; +whether they had been bathed with her tears, or merely with his own? +</P> + +<P> +These dream-visions became, however, less frequent as time passed +on, and the grief of the knight was less acute; still he would +probably have cherished no other wish than thus to think calmly of +Undine and to talk of her, had not the old fisherman appeared one +day unexpectedly at the castle, and sternly insisted on Bertalda's +returning with him as his child. The news of Undine's disappearance +had reached him, and he had determined on no longer allowing +Bertalda to reside at the castle with the widowed knight. +</P> + +<P> +"For," said he, "whether my daughter love me or no, I do not care to +know, but her honor is at stake, and where that is concerned, +nothing else is to be thought of." +</P> + +<P> +This idea of the old fisherman's, and the solitude which threatened +to overwhelm the knight in all the halls and galleries of the +desolate castle, after Bertalda's departure, brought out the +feelings that had slumbered till now and which had been wholly +forgotten in his sorrow for Undine; namely, Huldbrand's affection +for the beautiful Bertalda. The fisherman had many objections to +raise against the proposed marriage. Undine had been very dear to +the old fisherman, and he felt that no one really knew for certain +whether the dear lost one were actually dead. And if her body were +truly lying cold and stiff at the bottom of the Danube, or had +floated away with the current into the ocean, even then Bertalda was +in some measure to blame for her death, and it was unfitting for her +to step into the place of the poor supplanted one. Yet the fisherman +had a strong regard for the knight also; and the entreaties of his +daughter, who had become much more gentle and submissive, and her +tears for Undine, turned the scale, and he must at length have given +his consent, for he remained at the castle without objection, and a +messenger was despatched to Father Heilmann, who had united Undine +and Huldbrand in happy days gone by, to bring him to the castle for +the second nuptials of the knight. +</P> + +<P> +The holy man, however, had scarcely read the letter from the knight +of Ringstetten, than he set out on his journey to the castle, with +far greater expedition than even the messenger had used in going to +him. Whenever his breath failed in his rapid progress, or his aged +limbs ached with weariness, he would say to himself: "Perhaps the +evil may yet be prevented; fail not, my tottering frame, till you +have reached the goal!" And with renewed power he would then press +forward, and go on and on without rest or repose, until late one +evening he entered the shady court-yard of castle Ringstetten. +</P> + +<P> +The betrothed pair were sitting side by side under the trees, and +the old fisherman was near them, absorbed in thought. The moment +they recognized Father Heilmann, they sprang up, and pressed round +him with warm welcome. But he, without making much reply, begged +Huldbrand to go with him into the castle; and when the latter looked +astonished, and hesitated to obey the grave summons, the reverend +father said to him:— +</P> + +<P> +"Why should I make any delay in wishing to speak to you in private, +Herr von Ringstetten? What I have to say concerns Bertalda and the +fisherman as much as yourself, and what a man has to hear, he may +prefer to hear as soon as possible. Are you then so perfectly +certain, Knight Huldbrand, that your first wife is really dead? It +scarcely seems so to me. I will not indeed say anything of the +mysterious condition in which she may be existing, and I know, too, +nothing of it with certainty. But she was a pious and faithful wife, +that is beyond all doubt; and for a fortnight past she has stood at +my bedside at night in my dreams, wringing her tender hands in +anguish and sighing out: 'Oh, prevent him, good father! I am still +living! oh, save his life! save his soul!' I did not understand what +this nightly vision signified; when presently your messenger came, +and I hurried thither, not to unite, but to separate, what ought not +to be joined together. Leave her, Huldbrand! Leave him, Bertalda! He +yet belongs to another; and do you not see grief for his lost wife +still written on his pale cheek? No bridegroom looks thus, and a +voice tells me that if you do not leave him, you will never be +happy." +</P> + +<P> +The three listeners felt in their innermost heart that Father +Heilmann spoke the truth, but they would not believe it. Even the +old fisherman was now so infatuated that he thought it could not be +otherwise than they had settled it in their discussions during the +last few days. They therefore all opposed the warnings of the priest +with a wild and gloomy rashness, until at length the holy father +quitted the castle with a sad heart, refusing to accept even for a +single night the shelter offered, or to enjoy the refreshments +brought him. Huldbrand, however, persuaded himself that the priest +was full of whims and fancies, and with dawn of day he sent for a +father from the nearest monastery, who, without hesitation, promised +to perform the ceremony in a few days. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap17"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XVII. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE KNIGHT'S DREAM. +</H3> + +<P> +It was between night and dawn of day that the knight was lying on +his couch, half-waking, half-sleeping. Whenever he was on the point +of falling asleep a terror seemed to come upon him and scare his +rest away, for his slumbers were haunted with spectres. If he tried, +however, to rouse himself in good earnest he felt fanned as by the +wings of a swan, and he heard the soft murmuring of waters, until +soothed by the agreeable delusion, he sunk back again into a +half-conscious state. At length he must have fallen sound asleep, for +it seemed to him as if he were lifted up upon the fluttering wings of +the swans and borne by them far over land and sea, while they sang +to him their sweetest music. "The music of the swan! the music of +the swan!" he kept saying to himself; "does it not always portend +death?" But it had yet another meaning. All at once he felt as if he +were hovering over the Mediterranean Sea. A swan was singing +musically in his ear that this was the Mediterranean Sea. And while +he was looking down upon the waters below they became clear as +crystal, so that he could see through them to the bottom. He was +delighted at this, for he could see Undine sitting beneath the +crystal arch. It is true she was weeping bitterly, and looking much +sadder than in the happy days when they had lived together at the +castle of Ringstetten, especially at their commencement, and +afterward also, shortly before they had begun their unhappy Danube +excursion. The knight could not help thinking upon all this very +fully and deeply, but it did not seem as if Undine perceived him. +</P> + +<P> +Meanwhile Kuhleborn had approached her, and was on the point of +reproving her for her weeping. But she drew herself up, and looked +at him with such a noble and commanding air that he almost shrunk +back with fear. "Although I live here beneath the waters," said she, +"I have yet brought down my soul with me; and therefore I may well +weep, although you can not divine what such tears are. They too are +blessed, for everything is blessed to him in whom a true soul +dwells." +</P> + +<P> +He shook his head incredulously, and said, after some reflection: +"And yet, niece, you are subject to the laws of our element, and if +he marries again and is unfaithful to you, you are in duty bound to +take away his life." +</P> + +<P> +"He is a widower to this very hour," replied Undine, "and his sad +heart still holds me dear." +</P> + +<P> +"He is, however, at the same time betrothed," laughed Kuhleborn, +with scorn; "and let only a few days pass, and the priest will have +given the nuptial blessing, and then you will have to go upon earth +to accomplish the death of him who has taken another to wife." +</P> + +<P> +"That I cannot do," laughed Undine in return; "I have sealed up the +fountain securely against myself and my race." +</P> + +<P> +"But suppose he should leave his castle," said Kuhleborn, "or should +have the fountain opened again! for he thinks little enough of these +things." +</P> + +<P> +"It is just for that reason," said Undine, still smiling amid her +tears, "it is just for that reason, that he is now hovering in +spirit over the Mediterranean Sea, and is dreaming of this +conversation of ours as a warning. I have intentionally arranged it +so." +</P> + +<P> +Kuhleborn, furious with rage, looked up at the knight, threatened, +stamped with his feet, and then swift as an arrow shot under the +waves. It seemed as if he were swelling in his fury to the size of a +whale. Again the swans began to sing, to flap their wings, and to +fly. It seemed to the knight as if he were soaring away over +mountains and streams, and that he at length reached the castle +Ringstetten, and awoke on his couch. +</P> + +<P> +He did, in reality, awake upon his couch, and his squire coming in +at that moment informed him that Father Heilmann was still lingering +in the neighborhood; that he had met him the night before in the +forest, in a hut which he had formed for himself of the branches of +trees, and covered with moss and brushwood. To the question what he +was doing here, since he would not give the nuptial blessing, he had +answered: "There are other blessings besides those at the nuptial +altar, and though I have not gone to the wedding, it may be that I +shall be at another solemn ceremony. We must be ready for all +things. Besides, marrying and mourning are not so unlike, and every +one not wilfully blinded must see that well." +</P> + +<P> +The knight placed various strange constructions upon these words, +and upon his dream, but it is very difficult to break off a thing +which a man has once regarded as certain, and so everything remained +as it had been arranged. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap18"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XVIII. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND IS MARRIED. +</H3> + +<P> +If I were to tell you how the marriage-feast passed at castle +Ringstetten, it would seem to you as if you saw a heap of bright and +pleasant things, but a gloomy veil of mourning spread over them all, +the dark hue of which would make the splendor of the whole look less +like happiness than a mockery of the emptiness of all earthly joys. +It was not that any spectral apparitions disturbed the festive +company, for we know that the castle had been secured from the +mischief of the threatening water-spirits. But the knight and the +fisherman and all the guests felt as if the chief personage were +still lacking at the feast, and that this chief personage could be +none other than the loved and gentle Undine. Whenever a door opened, +the eyes of all were involuntarily turned in that direction, and if +it was nothing but the butler with new dishes, or the cup-bearer +with a flask of still richer wine, they would look down again sadly, +and the flashes of wit and merriment which had passed to and fro, +would be extinguished by sad remembrances. The bride was the most +thoughtless of all, and therefore the most happy; but even to her it +sometimes seemed strange that she should be sitting at the head of +the table, wearing a green wreath and gold-embroidered attire, while +Undine was lying at the bottom of the Danube, a cold and stiff +corpse, or floating away with the current into the mighty ocean. +For, ever since her father had spoken of something of the sort, his +words were ever ringing in her ear, and this day especially they +were not inclined to give place to other thoughts. +</P> + +<P> +The company dispersed early in the evening, not broken up by the +bridegroom himself, but sadly and gloomily by the joyless mood of +the guests and their forebodings of evil. Bertalda retired with her +maidens, and the knight with his attendants; but at this mournful +festival there was no gay, laughing train of bridesmaids and +bridesmen. +</P> + +<P> +Bertalda wished to arouse more cheerful thoughts; she ordered a +splendid ornament of jewels which Huldbrand had given her, together +with rich apparel and veils, to be spread out before her, in order +that from these latter she might select the brightest and most +beautiful for her morning attire. Her attendants were delighted at +the opportunity of expressing their good wishes to their young +mistress, not failing at the same time to extol the beauty of the +bride in the most lively terms. They were more and more absorbed in +these considerations, till Bertalda at length, looking in a mirror, +said with a sigh: "Ah, but don't you see plainly how freckled I am +growing here at the side of my neck?" +</P> + +<P> +They looked at her throat, and found the freckles as their fair +mistress had said, but they called them beauty-spots, and mere tiny +blemishes only, tending to enhance the whiteness of her delicate +skin. Bertalda shook her head and asserted that a spot was always a +defect. +</P> + +<P> +"And I could remove them," she sighed a last, "only the fountain is +closed from which I used to have that precious and purifying water. +Oh! if I had but a flask of it to-day!" +</P> + +<P> +"Is that all?" said an alert waiting-maid, laughing, as she slipped +from the apartment. +</P> + +<P> +"She will not be mad," exclaimed Bertalda, in a pleased and +surprised tone, "she will not be so mad as to have the stone removed +from the fountain this very evening!" At the same moment they heard +the men crossing the courtyard, and could see from the window how +the officious waiting-woman was leading them straight up to the +fountain, and that they were carrying levers and other instruments +on their shoulders. "It is certainly my will," said Bertalda, +smiling, "if only it does not take too long." And, happy in the +sense that a look from her now was able to effect what had formerly +been so painfully refused her, she watched the progress of the work +in the moonlit castle-court. +</P> + +<P> +The men raised the enormous stone with an effort; now and then +indeed one of their number would sigh, as he remembered that they +were destroying the work of their former beloved mistress. But the +labor was far lighter than they had imagined. It seemed as if a +power within the spring itself were aiding them in raising the +stone. +</P> + +<P> +"It is just," said the workmen to each other in astonishment, "as if +the water within had become a springing fountain." And the stone +rose higher and higher, and almost without the assistance of the +workmen, it rolled slowly down upon the pavement with a hollow +sound. But from the opening of the fountain there rose solemnly a +white column of water; at first they imagined it had really become a +springing fountain, till they perceived that the rising form was a +pale female figure veiled in white. She was weeping bitterly, +raising her hands wailingly above her head and wringing them, as she +walked with a slow and serious step to the castle-building. The +servants fled from the spring; the bride, pale and stiff with +horror, stood at the window with her attendants. When the figure had +now come close beneath her room, it looked moaningly up to her, and +Bertalda thought she could recognize beneath the veil the pale +features of Undine. But the sorrowing form passed on, sad, +reluctant, and faltering, as if passing to execution. +</P> + +<P> +Bertalda screamed out that the knight was to be called, but none of +her maids ventured from the spot; and even the bride herself became +mute, as if trembling at her own voice. +</P> + +<P> +While they were still standing fearfully at the window, motionless +as statues, the strange wanderer had reached the castle, had passed +up the well-known stairs, and through the well-known halls, ever in +silent tears. Alas! how differently had she once wandered through +them! +</P> + +<P> +The knight, partly undressed, had already dismissed his attendants, +and in a mood of deep dejection he was standing before a large +mirror; a taper was burning dimly beside him. There was a gentle tap +at his door. Undine used to tap thus when she wanted playfully to +tease him "It is all fancy," said he to himself; "I must seek my +nuptial bed." +</P> + +<P> +"So you must, but it must be a cold one!" he heard a tearful voice +say from without, and then he saw in the mirror his door opening +slowly—slowly—and the white figure entered, carefully closing it +behind her. "They have opened the spring," said she softly, "and now +I am here, and you must die." +</P> + +<P> +He felt in his paralyzed heart that it could not be otherwise, but +covering his eyes with his hands he said: "Do not make me mad with +terror in my hour of death. If you wear a hideous face behind that +veil, do not raise it, but take my life, and let me see you not." +</P> + +<P> +"Alas!" replied the figure, "will you then not look upon me once +more? I am as fair as when you wooed me on the promontory." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, if it were so!" sighed Huldbrand, "and if I might die in your +fond embrace!" +</P> + +<P> +"Most gladly, my loved one," said she; and throwing her veil back, +her lovely face smiled forth divinely beautiful. Trembling with love +and with the approach of death, she kissed him with a holy kiss; but +not relaxing her hold she pressed him fervently to her, and as if +she would weep away her soul. Tears rushed into the knight's eyes, +and seemed to surge through his heaving breast, till at length his +breathing ceased, and he fell softly back from the beautiful arms of +Undine, upon the pillows of his couch—a corpse. +</P> + +<P> +"I have wept him to death," said she to some servants who met her in +the ante-chamber; and, passing through the affrighted group, she +went slowly out toward the fountain. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap19"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XIX. +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND WAS BURIED. +</H3> + +<P> +Father Heilmann had returned to the castle as soon as the death of +the lord of Ringstetten had been made known in the neighborhood, and +he appeared at the very same moment that the monk who had married +the unfortunate couple was fleeing from the gates overwhelmed with +fear and terror. +</P> + +<P> +"It is well," replied Heilmann, when he was informed of this; "now +my duties begin, and I need no associate." +</P> + +<P> +Upon this he began to console the bride, now a widow, small result +as it produced upon her worldly thoughtless mind. The old fisherman, +on the other hand, although heartily grieved, was far more resigned +to the fate which had befallen his daughter and son-in-law, and +while Bertalda could not refrain from abusing Undine as a murderess +and sorceress, the old man calmly said: "It could not be otherwise +after all; I see nothing in it but the judgment of God, and no one's +heart has been more deeply grieved by Huldbrand's death than that of +her by whom it was inflicted—the poor forsaken Undine!" +</P> + +<P> +At the same time he assisted in arranging the funeral solemnities as +befitted the rank of the deceased. +</P> + +<P> +The knight was to be interred in the village churchyard which was +filled with the graves of his ancestors. And this church had been +endowed with rich privileges and gifts both by these ancestors and +by himself. His shield and helmet lay already on the coffin, to be +lowered with it into the grave, for Sir Huldbrand, of Ringstetten, +had died the last of his race; the mourners began their sorrowful +march, singing requiems under the bright, calm canopy of heaven; +Father Heilmann walked in advance, bearing a high crucifix, and the +inconsolable Bertalda followed, supported by her aged father. +Suddenly, in the midst of the black-robed attendants in the widow's +train, a snow-white figure was seen, closely veiled, and wringing +her hands with fervent sorrow. Those near whom she moved felt a +secret dread, and retreated either backward or to the side, +increasing by their movements the alarm of the others near to whom +the white stranger was now advancing, and thus a confusion in the +funeral-train was well-nigh beginning. Some of the military escort +were so daring as to address the figure, and to attempt to remove it +from the procession; but she seemed to vanish from under their +hands, and yet was immediately seen advancing again amid the dismal +cortege with slow and solemn step. At length, in consequence of the +continued shrinking of the attendants to the right and to the left, +she came close behind Bertalda. The figure now moved so slowly that +the widow did not perceive it, and it walked meekly and humbly +behind her undisturbed. +</P> + +<P> +This lasted till they came to the churchyard, where the procession +formed a circle round the open grave. Then Bertalda saw her unbidden +companion, and starting up half in anger and half in terror, she +commanded her to leave the knight's last resting-place. The veiled +figure, however, gently shook her head in refusal, and raised her +hands as if in humble supplication to Bertalda, deeply agitating her +by the action, and recalling to her with tears how Undine had so +kindly wished to give her that coral necklace on the Danube. Father +Heilmann motioned with his hand and commanded silence, as they were +to pray in mute devotion over the body, which they were now covering +with the earth. Bertalda knelt silently, and all knelt, even the +grave-diggers among the rest, when they had finished their task. But +when they rose again, the white stranger had vanished; on the spot +where she had knelt there gushed out of the turf a little silver +spring, which rippled and murmured away till it had almost entirely +encircled the knight's grave; then it ran further and emptied itself +into a lake which lay by the side of the burial-place. Even to this +day the inhabitants of the village show the spring, and cherish the +belief that it is the poor rejected Undine, who in this manner still +embraces her husband in her loving arms. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Undine, by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNDINE *** + +***** This file should be named 3714-h.htm or 3714-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/1/3714/ + +Produced by Charles Franks, Greg Weeks, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Undine + +Author: Friedrich de la Motte Fouque + +Translator: F. E. Bunnett + +Posting Date: May 13, 2009 [EBook #3714] +Release Date: February, 2003 +First Posted: August 1, 2001 +Last Updated: June 9, 2006 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNDINE *** + + + + +Produced by Charles Franks, Greg Weeks, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines. + + + + + + + + + + +UNDINE + + +BY + +DE LA MOTTE FOUQUE + + + + +TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN + +BY F. E. BUNNETT + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +DEDICATION + +CHAPTER + + I. HOW THE KNIGHT CAME TO THE FISHERMAN + II. IN WHAT WAY UNDINE HAD COME TO THE FISHERMAN + III. HOW THEY FOUND UNDINE AGAIN + IV. OF THAT WHICH THE KNIGHT ENCOUNTERED IN THE WOOD + V. HOW THE KNIGHT LIVED ON THE LITTLE PROMONTORY + VI. OF A NUPTIAL CEREMONY + VII. WHAT FURTHER HAPPENED ON THE EVENING OF THE WEDDING + VIII. THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING + IX. HOW THE KNIGHT TOOK HIS YOUNG WIFE WITH HIM + X. HOW THEY LIVED IN THE CITY + XI. THE ANNIVERSARY OF BERTALDA'S NAME-DAY + XII. HOW THEY DEPARTED FROM THE IMPERIAL CITY + XIII. HOW THEY LIVED AT CASTLE RINGSTETTEN + XIV. HOW BERTALDA RETURNED HOME WITH THE KNIGHT + XV. THE JOURNEY TO VIENNA + XVI. HOW IT FARED FURTHER WITH HULDBRAND + XVII. THE KNIGHT'S DREAM + XVIII. HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND IS MARRIED + XIX. HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND WAS BURIED + + + + +DEDICATION. + + Undine, thou image fair and blest, + Since first thy strange mysterious glance, + Shone on me from some old romance, + How hast thou sung my heart to rest! + + How hast thou clung to me and smiled, + And wouldest, whispering in my ear, + Give vent to all thy miseries drear, + A little half-spoiled timorous child! + + Yet hath my zither caught the sound, + And breathed from out its gates of gold, + Each gentle word thy lips have told, + Until their fame is spread around. + + And many a heart has loved thee well, + In spite of every wayward deed, + And many a one will gladly read, + The pages which thy history tell. + + I catch the whispered hope expressed, + That thou should'st once again appear; + So cast aside each doubt and fear, + And come, Undine! thou spirit blest! + + Greet every noble in the hall, + And greet 'fore all, with trusting air, + The beauteous women gathered there; + I know that thou art loved by all. + + And if one ask thee after me, + Say: he's a true and noble knight, + Fair woman's slave in song and fight + And in all deeds of chivalry. + + + +UNDINE. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +HOW THE KNIGHT CAME TO THE FISHERMAN. + + +There was once, it may be now many hundred years ago, a good old +fisherman, who was sitting one fine evening before his door, mending +his nets. The part of the country in which he lived was extremely +pretty. The greensward, on which his cottage stood, ran far into the +lake, and it seemed as if it was from love for the blue clear waters +that the tongue of land had stretched itself out into them, while +with an equally fond embrace the lake had encircled the green +pasture rich with waving grass and flowers, and the refreshing shade +of trees. The one welcomed the other, and it was just this that made +each so beautiful. There were indeed few human beings, or rather +none at all, to be met with on this pleasant spot, except the +fisherman and his family. For at the back of this little promontory +there lay a very wild forest, which, both from its gloom and +pathless solitude as well as from the wonderful creatures and +illusions with which it was said to abound, was avoided by most +people except in cases of necessity. + +The pious old fisherman, however, passed through it many a time +undisturbed, when he was taking the choice fish, which he had caught +at his beautiful home, to a large town situated not far from the +confines of the forest. The principal reason why it was so easy for +him to pass through this forest was because the tone of his thoughts +was almost entirely of a religious character, and besides this, +whenever he set foot upon the evil reputed shades, he was wont to +sing some holy song, with a clear voice and a sincere heart. + +While sitting over his nets this evening, unsuspicious of any evil, +a sudden fear came upon him, at the sound of a rustling in the gloom +of the forest, as of a horse and rider, the noise approaching nearer +and nearer to the little promontory. All that he had dreamed, in +many a stormy night, of the mysteries of the forest, now flashed at +once through his mind; foremost of all, the image of a gigantic +snow-white man, who kept unceasingly nodding his head in a +portentous manner. Indeed, when he raised his eyes toward the wood +it seemed to him as if he actually saw the nodding man approaching +through the dense foliage. He soon, however, reassured himself, +reflecting that nothing serious had ever befallen him even in the +forest itself, and that upon this open tongue of land the evil +spirit would be still less daring in the exercise of his power. At +the same time he repeated aloud a text from the Bible with all his +heart, and this so inspired him with courage that he almost smiled +at the illusion he had allowed to possess him. The white nodding man +was suddenly transformed into a brook long familiar to him, which +ran foaming from the forest and discharged itself into the lake. The +noise, however, which he had heard, was caused by a knight +beautifully apparelled, who, emerging from the deep shadows of the +wood, came riding toward the cottage. A scarlet mantle was thrown +over his purple gold-embroidered doublet; a red and violet plume +waved from his golden-colored head-gear; and a beautifully and +richly ornamented sword flashed from his shoulder-belt. The white +steed that bore the knight was more slenderly formed than war-horses +generally are, and he stepped so lightly over the turf that this +green and flowery carpet seemed scarcely to receive the slightest +injury from his tread. + +The old fisherman did not, however, feel perfectly secure in his +mind, although he tried to convince himself that no evil was to be +feared from so graceful an apparition; and therefore he politely +took off his hat as the knight approached, and remained quietly with +his nets. + +Presently the stranger drew up, and inquired whether he and his +horse could have shelter and care for the night. "As regards your +horse, good sir," replied the fisherman. "I can assign him no better +stable than this shady pasture, and no better provender than the +grass growing on it. Yourself, however, I will gladly welcome to my +small cottage, and give you supper and lodging as good as we have." +The knight was well satisfied with this; he alighted from his horse, +and, with the assistance of the fisherman, he relieved it from +saddle and bridle, and turned it loose upon the flowery green. Then +addressing his host, he said: "Even had I found you less hospitable +and kindly disposed, my worthy old fisherman, you would nevertheless +scarcely have got rid of me to-day, for, as I see, a broad lake lies +before us, and to ride back into that mysterious wood, with the +shades of evening coming on, heaven keep me from it!" + +"We will not talk too much of that," said the fisherman, and he led +his guest into the cottage. + +There, beside the hearth, from which a scanty fire shed a dim light +through the cleanly-kept room, sat the fisherman's aged wife in a +capacious chair. At the entrance of the noble guest she rose to give +him a kindly welcome, but resumed her seat of honor without offering +it to the stranger. Upon this the fisherman said with a smile: "You +must not take it amiss of her, young sir, that she has not given up +to you the most comfortable seat in the house; it is a custom among +poor people, that it should belong exclusively to the aged." + +"Why, husband," said the wife, with a quiet smile, "what can you be +thinking of? Our guest belongs no doubt to Christian men, and how +could it come into the head of the good young blood to drive old +people from their chairs? Take a seat, my young master," she +continued, turning toward the knight; "over there, there is a right +pretty little chair, only you must not move about on it too roughly, +for one of its legs is no longer of the firmest." The knight fetched +the chair carefully, sat down upon it good-humoredly, and it seemed +to him as if he were related to this little household, and had just +returned from abroad. + +The three worthy people now began to talk together in the most +friendly and familiar manner. With regard to the forest, about which +the knight made some inquiries, the old man was not inclined to be +communicative; he felt it was not a subject suited to approaching +night, but the aged couple spoke freely of their home and former +life, and listened also gladly when the knight recounted to them his +travels, and told them that he had a castle near the source of the +Danube, and that his name was Sir Huldbrand of Ringstetten. During +the conversation, the stranger had already occasionally heard a +splash against the little low window, as if some one were sprinkling +water against it. Every time the noise occurred, the old man knit +his brow with displeasure; but when at last a whole shower was +dashed against the panes, and bubbled into the room through the +decayed casement, he rose angrily, and called threateningly from the +window: "Undine! will you for once leave off these childish tricks? +and to-day, besides, there is a stranger knight with us in the +cottage." All was silent without, only a suppressed laugh was +audible, and the fisherman said as he returned: "You must pardon it +in her, my honored guest, and perhaps many a naughty trick besides; +but she means no harm by it. It is our foster-child, Undine, and she +will not wean herself from this childishness, although she has +already entered her eighteenth year. But, as I said, at heart she is +thoroughly good." + +"You may well talk," replied the old woman, shaking her head; "when +you come home from fishing or from a journey, her frolics may then +be very delightful, but to have her about one the whole day long, +and never to hear a sensible word, and instead of finding her a help +in the housekeeping as she grows older, always to be obliged to be +taking care that her follies do not completely ruin us, that is +quite another thing, and the patience of a saint would be worn out +at last." + +"Well, well," said her husband with a smile, "you have your troubles +with Undine, and I have mine with the lake. It often breaks away my +dams, and tears my nets to pieces, but for all that, I have an +affection for it, and so have you for the pretty child, in spite of +all your crosses and vexations. Isn't it so?" + +"One can't be very angry with her, certainly," said the old woman, +and she smiled approvingly. + +Just then the door flew open, and a beautiful, fair girl glided +laughing into the room, and said "You have only been jesting, +father, for where is your guest?" + +At the same moment, however, she perceived the knight, and stood +fixed with astonishment before the handsome youth, Huldbrand was +struck with her charming appearance, and dwelt the more earnestly on +her lovely features, as he imagined it was only her surprise that +gave him this brief enjoyment, and that she would presently turn +from his gaze with increased bashfulness. It was, however, quite +otherwise; for after having looked at him for some time, she drew +near him confidingly, knelt down before him, and said, as she played +with a gold medal which he wore on his breast, suspended from a rich +chain: "Why, you handsome, kind guest, how have you come to our poor +cottage at last? Have you been obliged then to wander through the +world for years, before you could find your way to us? Do you come +out of that wild forest, my beautiful knight?" The old woman's +reproof allowed him no time for reply. She admonished the girl to +stand up and behave herself and to go to her work. Undine, however, +without making any answer drew a little footstool close to +Huldbrand's chair, sat down upon it with her spinning, and said +pleasantly: "I will work here." The old man did as parents are wont +to do with spoiled children. He affected to observe nothing of +Undine's naughtiness and was beginning to talk of something else. +But this the girl would not let him do; she said: "I have asked our +charming guest whence he comes, and he has not yet answered me." + +"I come from the forest, you beautiful little vision," returned +Huldbrand; and she went on to say:-- + +"Then you must tell me how you came there, for it is usually so +feared, and what marvellous adventures you met with in it, for it is +impossible to escape without something of the sort." + +Huldbrand felt a slight shudder at this remembrance, and looked +involuntarily toward the window, for it seemed to him as if one of +the strange figures he had encountered in the forest were grinning +in there; but he saw nothing but the deep dark night, which had now +shrouded everything without. Upon this he composed himself and was +on the point of beginning his little history, when the old man +interrupted him by saying: "Not so, sir knight! this is no fit hour +for such things." Undine, however, sprang angrily from her little +stool, and standing straight before the fisherman with her fair arms +fixed in her sides, she exclaimed: "He shall not tell his story, +father? He shall not? but it is my will. He shall! He shall in spite +of you!" and thus saying she stamped her pretty little foot +vehemently on the floor, but she did it all with such a comically +graceful air that Huldbrand now felt his gaze almost more riveted +upon her in her anger than before in her gentleness. + +The restrained wrath of the old man, on the contrary, burst forth +violently. He severely reproved Undine's disobedience and unbecoming +behavior to the stranger, and his good old wife joined with him +heartily. Undine quickly retorted: "If you want to chide me, and +won't do what I wish, then sleep alone in your old smoky hut!" and +swift as an arrow she flew from the room, and fled into the dark +night. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +IN WHAT WAY UNDINE HAD COME TO THE FISHERMAN + + +Huldbrand and the fisherman sprang from their seats and were on the +point of following the angry girl. Before they reached the cottage +door, however, Undine had long vanished in the shadowy darkness +without, and not even the sound of her light footstep betrayed the +direction of her flight. Huldbrand looked inquiringly at his host; +it almost seemed to him as if the whole sweet apparition, which had +suddenly merged again into the night, were nothing else than one of +that band of the wonderful forms which had, but a short time since, +carried on their pranks with him in the forest. But the old man +murmured between his teeth: "This is not the first time that she has +treated us in this way. Now we have aching hearts and sleepless eyes +the whole night through; for who knows, that she may not some day +come to harm, if she is thus out alone in the dark until daylight." + +"Then let us for God's sake follow her," cried Huldbrand, anxiously. + +"What would be the good of it?" replied the old man. "It would be a +sin were I to allow you, all alone, to follow the foolish girl in +the solitary night, and my old limbs would not overtake the wild +runaway, even if we knew in what direction she had gone." + +"We had better at any rate call after her, and beg her to come +back," said Huldbrand; and he began to call in the most earnest +manner: "Undine! Undine! Pray come back!" The old man shook his +head, saying, that all that shouting would help but little, for the +knight had no idea how self-willed the little truant was. But still +he could not forbear often calling out with him in the dark night: +"Undine! Ah! dear Undine, I beg you to come back--only this once!" + +It turned out, however, as the fisherman had said. No Undine was to +be heard or seen, and as the old man would on no account consent +that Huldbrand should go in search of the fugitive, they were at +last both obliged to return to the cottage. Here they found the fire +on the hearth almost gone out, and the old wife, who took Undine's +flight and danger far less to heart than her husband, had already +retired to rest. The old man blew up the fire, laid some dry wood on +it, and by the light of the flame sought out a tankard of wine, +which he placed between himself and his guest. "You, sir knight," +said he, "are also anxious about that silly girl, and we would both +rather chatter and drink away a part of the night than keep turning +round on our rush mats trying in vain to sleep. Is it not so?" +Huldbrand was well satisfied with the plan; the fisherman obliged +him to take the seat of honor vacated by the good old housewife, and +both drank and talked together in a manner becoming two honest and +trusting men. It is true, as often as the slightest thing moved +before the windows, or even at times when nothing was moving, one of +the two would look up and say: "She is coming!" Then they would be +silent for a moment or two, and as nothing appeared, they would +shake their heads and sigh and go on with their talk. + +As, however, neither could think of anything but of Undine, they +knew of nothing better to do than that the old fisherman should tell +the story, and the knight should hear, in what manner Undine had +first come to the cottage. He therefore began as follows:-- + +"It is now about fifteen years ago that I was one day crossing the +wild forest with my goods, on my way to the city. My wife had stayed +at home, as her wont is, and at this particular time for a very good +reason, for God had given us, in our tolerably advanced age, a +wonderfully beautiful child. It was a little girl; and a question +already arose between us, whether for the sake of the new-comer, we +would not leave our lovely home that we might better bring up this +dear gift of heaven in some more habitable place. Poor people indeed +cannot do in such cases as you may think they ought, sir knight, +but, with God's blessing, every one must do what he can. Well, the +matter was tolerably in my head as I went along. This slip of land +was so dear to me, and I shuddered when, amid the noise and brawls +of the city, I thought to myself, 'In such scenes as these, or in +one not much more quiet, thou wilt also soon make thy abode!' But at +the same time I did not murmur against the good God; on the +contrary, I thanked him in secret for the new-born babe; I should be +telling a lie, too, were I to say, that on my journey through the +wood, going or returning, anything befell me out of the common way, +and at that time I had never seen any of its fearful wonders. The +Lord was ever with me in those mysterious shades." + +As he spoke he took his little cap from his bald head, and remained +for a time occupied with prayerful thoughts; he then covered himself +again, and continued:-- + +"On this side the forest, alas! a sorrow awaited me. My wife came to +meet me with tearful eyes and clad in mourning. 'Oh! Good God!' I +groaned, 'where is our dear child? speak!'--'With him on whom you +have called, dear husband,' she replied; and we now entered the +cottage together weeping silently. I looked around for the little +corpse, and it was then only that I learned how it had all +happened." + +"My wife had been sitting with the child on the edge of the lake, +and as she was playing with it, free of all fear and full of +happiness, the little one suddenly bent forward, as if attracted by +something very beautiful in the water. My wife saw her laugh, the +dear angel, and stretch out her little hands; but in a moment she +had sprung out of her mother's arms, and had sunk beneath the watery +mirror. I sought long for our little lost one; but it was all in +vain; there was no trace of her to be found." + +"The same evening we, childless parents, were sitting silently +together in the cottage; neither of us had any desire to talk, even +had our tears allowed us. We sat gazing into the fire on the hearth. +Presently, we heard something rustling outside the door: it flew +open, and a beautiful little girl three or four years old, richly +dressed, stood on the threshold smiling at us. We were quite dumb +with astonishment, and I knew not at first whether it were a vision +or a reality. But I saw the water dripping from her golden hair and +rich garments, and I perceived that the pretty child had been lying +in the water, and needed help. 'Wife,' said I, 'no one has been able +to save our dear child; yet let us at any rate do for others what +would have made us so blessed.' We undressed the little one, put her +to bed, and gave her something warm; at all this she spoke not a +word, and only fixed her eyes, that reflected the blue of the lake +and of the sky, smilingly upon us. Next morning we quickly perceived +that she had taken no harm from her wetting, and I now inquired +about her parents, and how she had come here. But she gave a +confused and strange account. She must have been born far from here, +not only because for these fifteen years I have not been able to +find out anything of her parentage, but because she then spoke, and +at times still speaks, of such singular things that such as we are +cannot tell but that she may have dropped upon us from the moon. She +talks of golden castles, of crystal domes, and heaven knows what +besides. The story that she told with most distinctness was, that +she was out in a boat with her mother on the great lake, and fell +into the water, and that she only recovered her senses here under +the trees where she felt herself quite happy on the merry shore. We +had still a great misgiving and perplexity weighing on our heart. We +had, indeed, soon decided to keep the child we had found and to +bring her up in the place of our lost darling; but who could tell us +whether she had been baptized or not? She herself could give us no +information on the matter. She generally answered our questions by +saying that she well knew she was created for Gods praise and glory, +and that she was ready to let us do with her whatever would tend to +His honor and glory." + +"My wife and I thought that if she were not baptized, there was no +time for delay, and that if she were, a good thing could not be +repeated too often. And in pursuance of this idea, we reflected upon +a good name for the child, for we now were often at a loss to know +what to call her. We agreed at last that Dorothea would be the most +suitable for her, for I once heard that it meant a gift of God, and +she had surely been sent to us by God as a gift and comfort in our +misery. She, on the other hand, would not hear of this, and told us +that she thought she had been called Undine by her parents, and that +Undine she wished still to be called. Now this appeared to me a +heathenish name, not to be found in any calendar, and I took counsel +therefore of a priest in the city. He also would not hear of the +name of Undine, but at my earnest request he came with me through +the mysterious forest in order to perform the rite of baptism here +in my cottage. The little one stood before us so prettily arrayed +and looked so charming that the priest's heart was at once moved +within him, and she flattered him so prettily, and braved him so +merrily, that at last he could no longer remember the objections he +had had ready against the name of Undine. She was therefore baptized +'Undine,' and during the sacred ceremony she behaved with great +propriety and sweetness, wild and restless as she invariably was at +other times. For my wife was quite right when she said that it has +been hard to put up with her. If I were to tell you"-- + +The knight interrupted the fisherman to draw his attention to a +noise, as of a rushing flood of waters, which had caught his ear +during the old man's talk, and which now burst against the +cottage-window with redoubled fury. Both sprang to the door. There they +saw, by the light of the now risen moon, the brook which issued from +the wood, widely overflowing its banks, and whirling away stones and +branches of trees in its sweeping course. The storm, as if awakened +by the tumult, burst forth from the mighty clouds which passed +rapidly across the moon; the lake roared under the furious lashing +of the wind; the trees of the little peninsula groaned from root to +topmost bough, and bent, as if reeling, over the surging waters. +"Undine! for Heaven's sake, Undine." cried the two men in alarm. No +answer was returned, and regardless of every other consideration, +they ran out of the cottage, one in this direction, and the other in +that, searching and calling. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +HOW THEY FOUND UNDINE AGAIN. + + +The longer Huldbrand sought Undine beneath the shades of night, and +failed to find her, the more anxious and confused did he become. + +The idea that Undine had been only a mere apparition of the forest, +again gained ascendancy over him; indeed, amid the howling of the +waves and the tempest, the cracking of the trees, and the complete +transformation of a scene lately so calmly beautiful, he could +almost have considered the whole peninsula with its cottage and its +inhabitants as a mocking illusive vision; but from afar he still +ever heard through the tumult the fisherman's anxious call for +Undine, and the loud praying and singing of his aged wife. At length +he came close to the brink of the swollen stream, and saw in the +moonlight how it had taken its wild course directly in front of the +haunted forest, so as to change the peninsula into an island. "Oh +God!" he thought to himself, "if Undine has ventured a step into +that fearful forest, perhaps in her charming wilfulness, just +because I was not allowed to tell her about it; and now the stream +may be rolling between us, and she may be weeping on the other side +alone, among phantoms and spectres!" + +A cry of horror escaped him, and he clambered down some rocks and +overthrown pine-stems, in order to reach the rushing stream and by +wading or swimming to seek the fugitive on the other side. He +remembered all the awful and wonderful things which he had +encountered, even by day, under the now rustling and roaring +branches of the forest. Above all it seemed to him as if a tall man +in white, whom he knew but too well, was grinning and nodding on the +opposite shore; but it was just these monstrous forms which forcibly +impelled him to cross the flood, as the thought seized him that +Undine might be among them in the agonies of death and alone. + +He had already grasped the strong branch of a pine, and was standing +supported by it, in the whirling current, against which he could +with difficulty maintain himself; though with a courageous spirit he +advanced deeper into it. Just then a gentle voice exclaimed near +him: "Venture not, venture not, the old man, the stream, is full of +tricks!" He knew the sweet tones; he stood as if entranced beneath +the shadows that duskily shrouded the moon, and his head swam with +the swelling of the waves, which he now saw rapidly rising to his +waist. Still he would not desist. + +"If thou art not really there, if thou art only floating about me +like a mist, then may I too cease to live and become a shadow like +thee, dear, dear Undine!" Thus exclaiming aloud, he again stepped +deeper into the stream. "Look round thee, oh! look round thee, +beautiful but infatuated youth!" cried a voice again close beside +him, and looking aside, he saw by the momentarily unveiled moon, a +little island formed by the flood, on which he perceived under the +interweaved branches of the overhanging trees, Undine smiling and +happy, nestling in the flowery grass. + +Oh! how much more gladly than before did the young man now use the +aid of his pine-branch! + +With a few steps he had crossed the flood which was rushing between +him and the maiden, and he was standing beside her on a little spot +of turf, safely guarded and screened by the good old trees. Undine +had half-raised herself, and now under the green leafy tent she +threw her arms round his neck, and drew him down beside her on her +soft seat. + +"You shall tell me your story here, beautiful friend," said she, in +a low whisper; "the cross old people cannot hear us here: and our +roof of leaves is just as good a shelter as their poor cottage." + +"It is heaven itself!" said Huldbrand, embracing the beautiful girl +and kissing her fervently. + +The old fisherman meanwhile had come to the edge of the stream, and +shouted across to the two young people; "Why, sir knight, I have +received you as one honest-hearted man is wont to receive another, +and now here you are caressing my foster-child in secret, and +letting me run hither and thither through the night in anxious +search of her." + +"I have only just found her myself, old father," returned the +knight. + +"So much the better," said the fisherman; "but now bring her across +to me without delay upon firm ground." + +Undine, however, would not hear of this; she declared she would +rather go with the beautiful stranger, into the wild forest itself, +than return to the cottage, where no one did as she wished, and from +which the beautiful knight would himself depart sooner or later. +Then, throwing her arms round Huldbrand, she sang with indescribable +grace:-- + + "A stream ran out of the misty vale + Its fortunes to obtain, + the ocean's depths it found a home + And ne'er returned again." + +The old fisherman wept bitterly at her song, but this did not seem +to affect her particularly. She kissed and caressed her new friend, +who at last said to her: "Undine, if the old man's distress does not +touch your heart, it touches mine--let us go back to him." + +She opened her large blue eyes in amazement at him, and spoke at +last, slowly and hesitatingly: "If you think so--well, whatever you +think is right to me. But the old man yonder must first promise me +that he will let you, without objection, relate to me what you saw +in the wood, and--well, other things will settle themselves." + +"Come, only come," cried the fisherman to her, unable to utter +another word: and at the same time he stretched out his arms far +over the rushing stream toward her, and nodded his head as if to +promise the fulfilment of her request, and as he did this, his white +hair fell strangely over his face, and reminded Huldbrand of the +nodding white man in the forest. Without allowing himself, however, +to grow confused by such an idea the young knight took the beautiful +girl in his arms, and bore her over the narrow passage which the +stream had forced between her little island and the shore. + +The old man fell upon Undine's neck and could not satisfy the +exuberance of his joy; his good wife also came up and caressed the +newly-found in the heartiest manner. Not a word of reproach passed +their lips; nor was it thought of, for Undine, forgetting all her +waywardness, almost overwhelmed her foster-parents with affection +and fond expressions. + +When at last they had recovered from the excess of their joy, day +had already dawned, and had shed its purple hue over the lake; +stillness had followed the storm, and the little birds were singing +merrily on the wet branches. As Undine now insisted upon hearing the +knight's promised story, the aged couple smilingly and readily +acceded to her desire. Breakfast was brought out under the trees +which screened the cottage from the lake, and they sat down to it +with contented hearts--Undine on the grass at the knight's feet, the +place chosen by herself. + +Huldbrand then proceeded with his story. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +OF THAT WHICH THE KNIGHT ENCOUNTERED IN THE WOOD. + + +"It is now about eight days ago since I rode into the free imperial +city, which lies on the other side of the forest. Soon after my +arrival, there was a splendid tournament and running at the ring, +and I spared neither my horse nor my lance. Once when I was pausing +at the lists, to rest after my merry toil, and was handing back my +helmet to one of my squires, my attention was attracted by a female +figure of great beauty, who was standing richly attired on one of +the galleries allotted to spectators." + +"I asked my neighbor, and learned from him, that the name of the +fair lady was Bertalda, and that she was the foster-daughter of one +of the powerful dukes living in the country. I remarked that she +also was looking at me, and, as it is wont to be with us young +knights, I had already ridden bravely, and now pursued my course +with renovated confidence and courage. In the dance that evening I +was Bertalda's partner, and I remained so throughout the festival." + +A sharp pain in his left hand, which hung down by his side, here +interrupted Huldbrand's narrative, and drew his attention to the +aching part. Undine had fastened her pearly teeth upon one of his +fingers, appearing at the same time very gloomy and angry. Suddenly, +however, she looked up in his eyes with an expression of tender +melancholy, and whispered in a soft voice: "It is your own fault." +Then she hid her face, and the knight, strangely confused and +thoughtful, continued his narrative. + +"This Bertalda was a haughty, wayward girl. Even on the second day +she pleased me no longer as she had done on the first, and on the +third day still less. Still I continued about her, because she was +more pleasant to me than to any other knight, and thus it was that I +begged her in jest to give me one of her gloves. 'I will give it you +when you have quite alone explored the ill-famed forest,' said she, +'and can bring me tidings of its wonders.' It was not that her glove +was of such importance to me, but the word had been said, and an +honorable knight would not allow himself to be urged a second time +to such a proof of valor." + +"I think she loved you," said Undine, interrupting him. + +"It seemed so," replied Huldbrand. + +"Well," exclaimed the girl, laughing, "she must be stupid indeed. To +drive away any one dear to her. And moreover, into an ill-omened +wood. The forest and its mysteries might have waited long enough for +me!" + +"Yesterday morning." continued the knight, smiling kindly at Undine, +"I set out on my enterprise. The stems of the trees caught the red +tints of the morning light which lay brightly on the green turf, the +leaves seemed whispering merrily with each other, and in my heart I +could have laughed at the people who could have expected anything to +terrify them in this pleasant spot. 'I shall soon have trotted +through the forest there and back again,' I said to myself, with a +feeling of easy gayety, and before I had even thought of it I was +deep within the green shades, and could no longer perceive the plain +which lay behind me. Then for the first time it struck me that I +might easily lose my way in the mighty forest, and that this perhaps +was the only danger which the wanderer had to fear. I therefore +paused and looked round in the direction of the sun, which in the +mean while had risen somewhat higher above the horizon. While I was +thus looking up I saw something black in the branches of a lofty +oak. I thought it was a bear and I grasped my sword; but with a +human voice, that sounded harsh and ugly, it called to me from +above: 'If I do not nibble away the branches up here, Sir Malapert, +what shall we have to roast you with at midnight?' And so saying it +grinned and made the branches rustle, so that my horse grew furious +and rushed forward with me before I had time to see what sort of a +devil it really was." + +"You must not call it so," said the old fisherman as he crossed +himself; his wife did the same silently. Undine looked at the knight +with sparkling eyes and said: "The best of the story is that they +certainly have not roasted him yet; go on now, you beautiful youth!" + +The knight continued his narration: "My horse was so wild that he +almost rushed with me against the stems and branches of trees; he +was dripping with sweat, and yet would not suffer himself to be held +in. At last he went straight in the direction of a rocky precipice; +then it suddenly seemed to me as if a tall white man threw himself +across the path of my wild steed; the horse trembled with fear and +stopped: I recovered my hold of him, and for the first time +perceived that my deliverer was no white man, but a brook of silvery +brightness, rushing down from a hill by my side and crossing and +impeding my horse's course." + +"Thanks, dear Brook," exclaimed Undine, clapping her little hands. +The old man, however, shook his head and looked down in deep +thought. + +"I had scarcely settled myself in the saddle," continued Huldbrand. +"and seized the reins firmly, when a wonderful little man stood at +my side, diminutive, and ugly beyond conception. His complexion was +of a yellowish brown, and his nose not much smaller than the rest of +his entire person. At the same time he kept grinning with stupid +courtesy, exhibiting his huge mouth, and making a thousand scrapes +and bows to me. As this farce was now becoming inconvenient to me, I +thanked him briefly and turned about my still trembling steed, +thinking either to seek another adventure, or in case I met with +none, to find my way back, for during my wild chase the sun had +already passed the meridian; but the little fellow sprang round with +the speed of lightning and stood again before my horse. 'Room!' I +cried, angrily; 'the animal is wild and may easily run over you.'-- +'Ay, ay!' snarled the imp, with a grin still more horribly stupid. +'Give me first some drink-money, for I have stopped your horse; +without me you and your horse would be now both lying in the stony +ravine; ugh!'--'Don't make any more faces,' said I, 'and take your +money, even if you are telling lies; for see, it was the good brook +there that saved me, and not you, you miserable wight! And at the +same time I dropped a piece of gold into his grotesque cap, which he +had taken off in his begging. I then trotted on; but he screamed +after me, and suddenly with inconceivable quickness was at my side. +I urged my horse into a gallop; the imp ran too, making at the same +time strange contortions with his body, half-ridiculous, half-horrible, +and holding up the gold-piece, he cried, at every leap, +'False money!, false coin!, false coin!, false money!'--and this he +uttered with such a hollow sound that one would have supposed that +after every scream he would have fallen dead to the ground." + +"His horrid red tongue moreover hung far out of his mouth. I +stopped, perplexed, and asked: 'What do you mean by this screaming? +take another piece of gold, take two, but leave me.' He then began +again his hideous burlesque of politeness, and snarled out: 'Not +gold, not gold, my young gentleman. I have too much of that trash +myself, as I will show you at once?'" + +"Suddenly it seemed to me as if I could see through the solid soil +as though it were green glass and the smooth earth were as round as +a ball; and within, a multitude of goblins were ranking sport with +silver and gold; head over heels they were rolling about, pelting +each other in jest with the precious metals, and provokingly blowing +the gold-dust in each other's eyes. My hideous companion stood +partly within and partly without; he ordered the others to reach him +up heaps of gold, and showing it to me with a laugh, he then flung +it back again with a ringing noise into the immeasurable abyss." + +"He then showed the piece of gold I had given him to the goblins +below, and they laughed themselves half-dead over it and hissed at +me. At last they all pointed at me with their metal-stained fingers, +and more and more wildly, and more and more densely, and more and +more madly, the swarm of spirits came clambering up to me. I was +seized with terror as my horse had been before: I put spurs to him, +and I know not how far I galloped for the second time wildly into +the forest." + +"At length, when I again halted, the coolness of evening was around +me. Through the branches of the trees I saw a white foot-path +gleaming, which I fancied must lead from the forest toward the city. +I was anxious to work my way in that direction; but a face perfectly +white and indistinct, with features ever changing, kept peering at +me between the leaves; I tried to avoid it, but wherever I went it +appeared also. Enraged at this, I determined at last to ride at it, +when it gushed forth volumes of foam upon me and my horse, obliging +us half-blinded to make a rapid retreat. Thus it drove us step by +step ever away from the foot-path, leaving the way open to us only +in one direction. When we advanced in this direction, it kept indeed +close behind us, but did not do us the slightest harm." + +"Looking around at it occasionally, I perceived that the white face +that had besprinkled us with foam belonged to a form equally white +and of gigantic stature. Many a time I thought that it was a moving +stream, but I could never convince myself on the subject. Wearied +out, the horse and his rider yielded to the impelling power of the +white man, who kept nodding his head, as if he would say, 'Quite +right, quite right!' And thus at last we came out here to the end of +the forest, where I saw the turf, and the lake, and your little +cottage, and where the tall white man disappeared." + +"It's well that he's gone," said the old fisherman; and now he began +to talk of the best way by which his guest could return to his +friends in the city. Upon this Undine began to laugh slyly to +herself; Huldbrand observed it, and said: "I thought you were glad +to see me here; why then do you now rejoice when my departure is +talked of?" + +"Because you cannot go away," replied Undine. "Just try it once, to +cross that overflowed forest stream with a boat, with your horse, or +alone, as you may fancy. Or rather don't try it, for you would be +dashed to pieces by the stones and trunks of trees which are carried +down by it with the speed of lightning. And as to the lake, I know +it well; father dare not venture out far enough with his boat." + +Huldbrand rose, smiling, in order to see whether things were as +Undine had said; the old man accompanied him, and the girl danced +merrily along by their side. They found every thing, indeed, as +Undine had described, and the knight was obliged to submit to remain +on the little tongue of land, that had become an island, till the +flood should subside. As the three were returning to the cottage +after their ramble, the knight whispered in the ear of the little +maiden "Well, how is it, my pretty Undine--are you angry at my +remaining?" + +"Ah!" she replied, peevishly, "let me alone. If I had not bitten +you, who knows how much of Bertalda would have appeared in your +story?" + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +HOW THE KNIGHT LIVED ON THE LITTLE PROMONTORY. + + +After having been much driven to and fro in the world, you have +perhaps, my dear reader, reached at length some spot where all was +well with thee; where the love for home and its calm peace, innate +to all, has again sprung up within thee; where thou hast thought +that this home was rich with all the flowers of childhood and of the +purest, deepest love that rests upon the graves of those that are +gone, and thou hast felt it must be good to dwell here and to build +habitations. Even if thou hast erred in this, and hast had afterward +bitterly to atone for the error, that is nothing to the purpose now, +and thou wouldst not, indeed, voluntarily sadden thyself with the +unpleasant recollection. But recall that inexpressibly sweet +foreboding, that angelic sense of peace, and thou wilt know somewhat +of the knight Huldbrand's feelings during his abode on the little +promontory. + +He often perceived with hearty satisfaction that the forest stream +rolled along every day more wildly, making its bed ever broader and +broader, and prolonging his sojourn on the island to an indefinite +period. Part of the day he rambled about with an old cross-bow, +which he had found in a corner of the cottage and had repaired; and, +watching for the water-fowl, he killed all that he could for the +cottage kitchen. When he brought his booty home, Undine rarely +neglected to upbraid him with having so cruelly deprived the happy +birds of life; indeed she often wept bitterly at the sight he placed +before her. But if he came home another time without having shot +anything she scolded him no less seriously, since now, from his +carelessness and want of skill, they had to be satisfied with living +on fish. He always delighted heartily in her graceful little +scoldings, all the more as she generally strove to compensate for +her ill-humor by the sweetest caresses. + +The old people took pleasure in the intimacy of the young pair; they +regarded them as betrothed, or even as already united in marriage, +and living on this isolated spot, as a succor and support to them in +their old age. It was this same sense of seclusion that suggested +the idea also to Huldbrand's mind that he was already Undine's +accepted one. He felt as if there were no world beyond these +surrounding waters, or as if he could never recross them to mingle +with other men; and when at times his grazing horse would neigh as +if inquiringly to remind him of knightly deeds, or when the coat of +arms on his embroidered saddle and horse-gear shone sternly upon +him, or when his beautiful sword would suddenly fall from the nail +on which it was hanging in the cottage, gliding from the scabbard as +it fell, he would quiet the doubts of his mind by saving: "Undine is +no fisherman's daughter; she belongs in all probability to some +illustrious family abroad." There was only one thing to which he had +a strong aversion, and this was, when the old dame reproved Undine +in his presence. The wayward girl, it is true, laughed at it for the +most part, without attempting to conceal her mirth; but it seemed to +him as if his honor were concerned, and yet he could not blame the +old fisherman's wife, for Undine always deserved at least ten times +as many reproofs as she received; so, in his heart he felt the +balance in favor of the old woman, and his whole life flowed onward +in calm enjoyment. + +There came, however, an interruption at last. The fisherman and the +knight had been accustomed at their mid-day meal, and also in the +evening when the wind roared without, as it was always wont to do +toward night, to enjoy together a flask of wine. But now the store +which the fisherman had from time to time brought with him from the +town, was exhausted, and the two men were quite out of humor in +consequence. + +Undine laughed at them excessively all day, but they were neither of +them merry enough to join in her jests as usual. Toward evening she +went out of the cottage to avoid, as she said, two such long and +tiresome faces. As twilight advanced, there were again tokens of a +storm, and the water rushed and roared. Full of alarm, the knight +and the fisherman sprang to the door, to bring home the girl, +remembering the anxiety of that night when Huldbrand had first come +to the cottage. Undine, however, met them, clapping her little hands +with delight. "What will you give me," she said, "to provide you +with wine?" or rather, "you need not give me anything," she +continued, "for I am satisfied if you will look merrier and be in +better spirits than you have been throughout this whole wearisome +day. Only come with me; the forest stream has driven ashore a cask, +and I will be condemned to sleep through a whole week if it is not a +wine-cask." The men followed her, and in a sheltered creek on the +shore, they actually found a cask, which inspired them with the hope +that it contained the generous drink for which they were thirsting. + +They at once rolled it as quickly as possible toward the cottage, +for the western sky was overcast with heavy storm-clouds, and they +could observe in the twilight the waves of the lake raising their +white, foaming heads, as if looking out for the rain which was +presently to pour down upon them. Undine helped the men as much as +she was able, and when the storm of rain suddenly burst over them, +she said, with a merry threat to the heavy clouds: "Come, come, take +care that you don't wet us; we are still some way from shelter." The +old man reproved her for this, as simple presumption, but she +laughed softly to herself, and no mischief befell any one in +consequence of her levity. Nay, more: contrary to all expectation, +they reached the comfortable hearth with their booty perfectly dry, +and it was not till they had opened the cask, and had proved that it +contained some wonderfully excellent wine, that the rain burst forth +from the dark cloud, and the storm raged among the tops of the +trees, and over the agitated billows of the lake. + +Several bottles were soon filled from the great cask, which promised +a supply for many days, and they were sitting drinking and jesting +round the glowing fire, feeling comfortably secured from the raging +storm without. Suddenly the old fisherman became very grave and +said: "Ah, great God! here we are rejoicing over this rich treasure, +and he to whom it once belonged, and of whom the floods have robbed +it, has probably lost this precious life in their waters." + +"That he has not," declared Undine, as she smilingly filled the +knight's cup to the brim. + +But Huldbrand replied: "By my honor, old father, if I knew where to +find and to rescue him, no knightly errand and no danger would I +shirk. So much, however, I can promise you, that if ever again I +reach more inhabited lands, I will find out the owner of this wine +or his heirs, and requite it twofold, nay, threefold." + +This delighted the old man; he nodded approvingly to the knight, and +drained his cup with a better conscience and greater pleasure. + +Undine, however, said to Huldbrand: "Do as you will with your gold +and your reimbursement; but you spoke foolishly about the venturing +out in search; I should cry my eyes out, if you were lost in the +attempt, and isn't it true, that you would yourself rather stay with +me and the good wine." + +"Yes, indeed," answered Huldbrand, smiling. + +"Then," said Undine, "you spoke unwisely. For charity begins at +home, and what do other people concern us?" + +The old woman turned away sighing and shaking her head; the +fisherman forgot his wonted affection for the pretty girl and +scolded her. + +"It sounds exactly," said he, as he finished his reproof, "as if +Turks and heathens had brought you up; may God forgive both me and +you, you spoiled child." + +"Well," replied Undine, "for all that, it is what I feel, let who +will hate brought me up, and all your words can't help that." + +"Silence!" exclaimed the fisherman, and Undine, who, in spite of her +pertness, was exceedingly fearful, shrank from him, and moving +tremblingly toward Huldbrand, asked him in a soft tone: "Are you +also angry, dear friend?" + +The knight pressed her tender hand and stroked her hair. He could +say nothing, for vexation at the old man's severity toward Undine +closed his lips: and thus the two couples sat opposite to each +other, with angry feelings and embarrassed silence. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +OF A NUPTIAL CEREMONY. + + +A low knocking at the door was heard in the midst of this stillness, +startling all the inmates of the cottage; for there are times when a +little circumstance, happening quite unexpectedly, can unduly alarm +us. But there was here the additional cause of alarm that the +enchanted forest lay so near, and that the little promontory seemed +just now inaccessible to human beings. They looked at each other +doubtingly, as the knocking was repeated accompanied by a deep +groan, and the knight sprang to reach his sword. But the old man +whispered softly: "If it be what I fear, no weapon will help us." + +Undine meanwhile approached the door and called out angrily and +boldly: "Spirits of the earth, if you wish to carry on your +mischief, Kuhleborn shall teach you something better." + +The terror of the rest was increased by these mysterious words; they +looked fearfully at the girl, and Huldbrand was just regaining +courage enough to ask what she meant, when a voice said without: "I +am no spirit of the earth, but a spirit indeed still within its +earthly body. You within the cottage, if you fear God and will help +me, open to me." At these words, Undine had already opened the door, +and had held a lamp out in the stormy night, by which they perceived +an aged priest standing there, who stepped back in terror at the +unexpected sight of the beautiful maiden. He might well think that +witchcraft and magic were at work when such a lovely form appeared +at such an humble cottage door: he therefore began to pray: "All +good spirits praise the Lord!" + +"I am no spectre," said Undine, smiling; "do I then look so ugly? +Besides you may see the holy words do not frighten me. I too know of +God and understand how to praise Him; every one to be sure in his +own way, for so He has created us. Come in, venerable father; you +come among good people." + +The holy man entered, bowing and looking round him, with a profound, +yet tender demeanor. But the water was dropping from every fold of +his dark garment, and from his long white beard and from his gray +locks. The fisherman and the knight took him to another apartment +and furnished him with other clothes, while they gave the women his +own wet attire to dry. The aged stranger thanked them humbly and +courteously, but he would on no account accept the knight's splendid +mantle, which was offered to him; but he chose instead an old gray +overcoat belonging to the fisherman. They then returned to the +apartment, and the good old dame immediately vacated her easy-chair +for the reverend father, and would not rest till he had taken +possession of it. "For," said she, "you are old and exhausted, and +you are moreover a man of God." Undine pushed under the stranger's +feet her little stool, on which she had been wont to sit by the side +of Huldbrand, and she showed herself in every way most gentle and +kind in her care of the good old man. Huldbrand whispered some +raillery at it in her ear, but she replied very seriously: "He is a +servant of Him who created us all; holy things are not to be jested +with." The knight and the fisherman then refreshed their reverend +guest with food and wine, and when he had somewhat recovered +himself, he began to relate how he had the day before set out from +his cloister, which lay far beyond the great lake, intending to +travel to the bishop, in order to acquaint him with the distress +into which the monastery and its tributary villages had fallen on +account of the extraordinary floods. + +After a long, circuitous route, which these very floods had obliged +him to take, he had been this day compelled, toward evening, to +procure the aid of a couple of good boatmen to cross an arm of the +lake, which had overflowed its banks. + +"Scarcely however," continued he, "had our small craft touched the +waves, than that furious tempest burst forth which is now raging +over our heads. It seemed as if the waters had only waited for us, +to commence their wildest whirling dance with our little boat. The +oars were soon torn out of the hands of my men, and were dashed by +the force of the waves further and further beyond our reach. We +ourselves, yielding to the resistless powers of nature, helplessly +drifted over the surging billows of the lake toward your distant +shore, which we already saw looming through the mist and foam. +Presently our boat turned round and round as in a giddy whirlpool; I +know not whether it was upset, or whether I fell overboard. In a +vague terror of inevitable death I drifted on, till a wave cast me +here, under the trees on your island." + +"Yes, island!" cried the fisherman; "a short time ago it was only a +point of land; but now, since the forest-stream and the lake have +become well-nigh bewitched, things are quite different with us." + +"I remarked something of the sort," said the priest, "as I crept +along the shore in the dark, and hearing nothing but the uproar +around me. I at last perceived that a beaten foot-path disappeared +just in the direction from which the sound proceeded. I now saw the +light in your cottage, and ventured hither, and I cannot +sufficiently thank my heavenly Father that after preserving me from +the waters, He has led me to such good and pious people as you are; +and I feel this all the more, as I do not know whether I shall ever +behold any other beings is this world, except those I now address." + +"What do you mean?" asked the fisherman. + +"Do you know then how long this commotion of the elements is to +last?" replied the holy man. "And I am old in years. Easily enough +may the stream of my life run itself out before the overflowing of +the forest-stream may subside. And indeed it were not impossible +that more and more of the foaming waters may force their way between +you and yonder forest, until you are so far sundered from the rest +of the world that your little fishing-boat will no longer be +sufficient to carry you across, and the inhabitants of the continent +in the midst of their diversions will have entirely forgotten you in +your old age." + +The fisherman's wife started at this, crossed herself and exclaimed. +"God forbid." But her husband looked at her with a smile, and said +"What creatures we are after all! even were it so, things would not +be very different--at least not for you, dear wife--than they now +are. For have you for many years been further than the edge of the +forest? and have you seen any other human beings than Undine and +myself? The knight and this holy man have only come to as lately. +They will remain with us if we do become a forgotten island; so you +would even be a gainer by it after all." + +"I don't know," said the old woman; "it is somehow a gloomy thought, +when one imagines that one is irrecoverably separated from other +people, although, were it otherwise, one might neither know nor see +them." + +"Then you will remain with us! then you will remain with us!" +whispered Undine, in a low, half-singing tone, as she nestled closer +to Huldbrand's side. But he was absorbed in the deep and strange +visions of his own mind. + +The region on the other side of the forest-river seemed to dissolve +into distance during the priest's last words: and the blooming +island upon which he lived grew more green, and smiled more freshly +in his mind's vision. His beloved one glowed as the fairest rose of +this little spot of earth, and even of the whole world, and the +priest was actually there. Added to this, at that moment an angry +glance from the old dame was directed at the beautiful girl, +because even in the presence of the reverend father she leaned so +closely on the knight, and it seemed as if a torrent of reproving +words were on the point of following. Presently, turning to the +priest, Huldbrand broke forth: "Venerable father, you see before you +here a pair pledged to each other: and if this maiden and these good +old people have no objection, you shall unite us this very evening." +The aged couple were extremely surprised. They had, it is true, +hitherto often thought of something of the sort, but they had never +yet expressed it, and when the knight now spoke thus, it came upon +them as something wholly new and unprecedented. + +Undine had become suddenly grave, and looked down thoughtfully while +the priest inquired respecting the circumstances of the case, and +asked if the old people gave their consent. After much discussion +together, the matter was settled; the old dame went to arrange the +bridal chamber for the young people, and to look out two consecrated +tapers which she had had in her possession for some time, and which +she thought essential to the nuptial ceremony. The knight in the +mean while examined his gold chain, from which he wished to +disengage two rings, that he might make an exchange of them with his +bride. + +She, however, observing what he was doing, started up from her +reverie, and exclaimed: "Not so! my parents have not sent me into +the world quite destitute; on the contrary, they must have +anticipated with certainty that such an evening as this would come." +Thus saving, she quickly left the room and reappeared in a moment +with two costly rings, one of which she gave to her bridegroom, and +kept the other for herself. The old fisherman was extremely +astonished at this, and still more so his wife, who just then +entered, for neither had ever seen these jewels in the child's +possession. + +"My parents," said Undine, "sewed these little things into the +beautiful frock which I had on, when I came to you. They forbid me, +moreover, to mention them to anyone before my wedding evening, so I +secretly took them, and kept them concealed until now." + +The priest interrupted all further questionings by lighting the +consecrated tapers, which he placed upon a table, and summoned the +bridal pair to stand opposite to him. He then gave them to each +other with a few short solemn words; the elder couple gave their +blessing to the younger, and the bride, trembling and thoughtful, +leaned upon the knight. Then the priest suddenly said: "You are +strange people after all. Why did you tell me you were the only +people here on the island? and during the whole ceremony, a tall +stately man, in a white mantle, has been looking at me through the +window opposite. He must still be standing before the door, to see +if you will invite him to come into the house." + +"God forbid," said the old dame with a start; the fisherman shook +his head in silence, and Huldbrand sprang to the window. It seemed +even to him as if he could still see a white streak, but it soon +completely disappeared in the darkness. He convinced the priest that +he must have been absolutely mistaken, and they all sat down +together round the hearth. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +WHAT FURTHER HAPPENED ON THE EVENING OF THE WEDDING. + + +Both before and during the ceremony, Undine had shown herself gentle +and quiet; but it now seemed as if all the wayward humors which +rioted within her, burst forth all the more boldly and unrestrainedly. +She teased her bridegroom and her foster-parents, and even the +holy man whom she had so lately reverenced, with all sorts of +childish tricks; and when the old woman was about to reprove her, +she was quickly silenced by a few grave words from the knight, +speaking of Undine now as his wife. Nevertheless, the knight +himself was equally little pleased with Undine's childish behavior: +but no signs, and no reproachful words were of any avail. It is +true, whenever the bride noticed her husband's dissatisfaction--and +this occurred occasionally--she became more quiet, sat down by his +side, caressed him, whispered something smilingly into his ear, and +smoothed the wrinkles that were gathering on his brow. But +immediately afterward, some wild freak would again lead her to +return to her ridiculous proceedings, and matters would be worse +than before. At length the priest said in a serious and kind tone: +"My fair young maiden, no one indeed can look at you without +delight; but remember so to attune your soul betimes, that it may +ever harmonize with that of your wedded husband." + +"Soul!" said Undine, laughing; "that sounds pretty enough, and may +be a very edifying and useful caution for most people. But when one +hasn't a soul at all, I beg you, what is there to attune then? and +that is my case." The priest was silent and deeply wounded, and with +holy displeasure he turned his face from the girl. She, however, +went up to him caressingly, and said: "No! listen to me first, +before you look angry, for your look of anger gives me pain, and you +must not give pain to any creature who has done you no wrong--only +have patience with me, and I will tell you properly what I mean." + +It was evident that she was preparing herself to explain something +in detail, but suddenly she hesitated, as if seized with an inward +shuddering, and burst out into a flood of tears. They none of them +knew what to make of this ebullition, and filled with various +apprehensions they gazed at her in silence. At length, wiping away +her tears, and looking earnestly at the reverend man, she said: +"There must be something beautiful, but at the same time extremely +awful, about a soul. Tell me, holy sir, were it not better that we +never shared such a gift?" She was silent again as if waiting for an +answer, and her tears had ceased to flow. All in the cottage had +risen from their seats and had stepped back from her with horror. +She, however, seemed to have eyes for no one but the holy man; her +features wore an expression of fearful curiosity, which appeared +terrible to those who saw her. "The soul must be a heavy burden," +she continued, as no one answered her, "very heavy! for even its +approaching image overshadows me with anxiety and sadness. And, ah! +I was so light-hearted and so merry till now!" And she burst into a +fresh flood of tears, and covered her face with the drapery she +wore. Then the priest went up to her with a solemn air, and spoke to +her, and conjured her by the name of the Most Holy to cast aside the +veil that enveloped her, if any spirit of evil possessed her. But +she sank on her knees before him, repeating all the sacred words he +uttered, praising God, and protesting that she wished well with the +whole world. + +Then at last the priest said to the knight: "Sir bridegroom, I will +leave you alone with her whom I have united to you in marriage. So +far as I can discover there is nothing of evil in her, but much +indeed that is mysterious. I commend to you--prudence, love, and +fidelity." So saying, he went out, and the fisherman and his wife +followed him, crossing themselves. + +Undine had sunk on her knees: she unveiled her face and said, +looking timidly round on Huldbrand: "Alas! you will surely now not +keep me as your own; and yet I have done no evil, poor child that I +am!" As she said this, she looked so exquisitely graceful and +touching, that her bridegroom forgot all the horror he had felt, and +all the mystery that clung to her, and hastening to her he raised +her in his arms. She smiled through her tears; it was a smile like +the morning-light playing on a little stream. + +"You cannot leave me," she whispered, with confident security, +stroking the knight's cheek with her tender hand. Huldbrand tried to +dismiss the fearful thoughts that still lurked in the background of +his mind, persuading him that he was married to a fairy or to some +malicious and mischievous being of the spirit world, only the single +question half unawares escaped his lips: "My little Undine, tell me +this one thing, what was it you said of spirits of the earth and of +Kuhleborn, when the priest knocked at the door?" + +"It was nothing but fairy tales!--children's fairy tales!" said +Undine, with all her wonted gayety; "I frightened you at first with +them, and then you frightened me, that's the end of our story and of +our nuptial evening." + +"Nay! that it isn't," said the knight, intoxicated with love, and +extinguishing the tapers, he bore his beautiful beloved to the +bridal chamber by the light of the moon which shone brightly through +the windows. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING. + + +The fresh light of the morning awoke the young married pair. +Wonderful and horrible dreams had disturbed Huldbrand's rest; he had +been haunted by spectres, who, grinning at him by stealth, had tried +to disguise themselves as beautiful women, and from beautiful women +they all at once assumed the faces of dragons, and when he started +up from these hideous visions, the moonlight shone pale and cold +into the room; terrified he looked at Undine, who still lay in +unaltered beauty and grace. Then he would press a light kiss upon +her rosy lips, and would fall asleep again only to be awakened by +new terrors. After he had reflected on all this, now that he was +fully awake, he reproached himself for any doubt that could have led +him into error with regard to his beautiful wife. He begged her to +forgive him for the injustice he had done her, but she only held out +to him her fair hand, sighed deeply, and remained silent. But a +glance of exquisite fervor beamed from her eyes such as he had never +seen before, carrying with it the full assurance that Undine bore +him no ill-will. He then rose cheerfully and left her, to join his +friends in the common apartment. + +He found the three sitting round the hearth, with an air of anxiety +about them, as if they dared not venture to speak aloud. The priest +seemed to be praying in his inmost spirit that all evil might be +averted. When, however, they saw the young husband come forth so +cheerfully the careworn expression of their faces vanished. + +The old fisherman even began to jest with the knight, so pleasantly, +that the aged wife smiled good-humoredly as she listened to them. +Undine at length made her appearance. All rose to meet her and all +stood still with surprise, for the young wife seemed so strange to +them and yet the same. The priest was the first to advance toward +her with paternal arms affection beaming in his face, and, as he +raised his hand to bless her, the beautiful woman sank reverently on +her knees before him. With a few humble and gracious words she +begged him to forgive her for any foolish things she might have said +the evening before, and entreated him in an agitated tone to pray +for the welfare of her soul. She then rose, kissed her foster-parents, +and thanking them for all the goodness they had shown her, +she exclaimed: "Oh! I now feel in my innermost heart, how much, how +infinitely much, you have done for me, dear, kind people!" She could +not at first desist from her caresses, but scarcely had she +perceived that the old woman was busy in preparing breakfast, than +she went to the hearth, cooked and arranged the meal, and would not +suffer the good old mother to take the least trouble. + +She continued thus throughout the whole day, quiet, kind, and +attentive--at once a little matron and a tender, bashful girl. The +three who had known her longest expected every moment to see some +whimsical vagary of her capricious spirit burst forth. But they +waited in vain for it. Undine remained as mild and gentle as an +angel. The holy father could not take his eyes from her, and he said +repeatedly to the bridegroom: "The goodness of heaven, sir, has +intrusted a treasure to you yesterday through me, unworthy as I am; +cherish it as you ought, and it will promote your temporal and +eternal welfare." + +Toward evening Undine was hanging on the knight's arm with humble +tenderness, and drew him gently out of the door, where the declining +sun was shining pleasantly on the fresh grass, and upon the tall, +slender stems of the trees. The eyes of the young wife were moist, +as with the dew of sadness and love, and a tender and fearful secret +seemed hovering on her lips, which, however, was only disclosed by +scarcely audible sighs. She led her husband onward and onward in +silence; when he spoke, she only answered him with looks, in which, +it is true, there lay no direct reply to his inquiries, but whole +heaven of love and timid devotion. Thus they reached the edge of the +swollen forest stream, and the knight was astonished to see it +rippling along in gentle waves, without a trace of its former +wildness and swell. "By the morning it will be quite dry," said the +beautiful wife, in a regretful tone, "and you can then travel away +wherever you will, without anything to hinder you." + +"Not without you, my little Undine," replied the knight, laughing: +"remember, even if I wished to desert you, the church, and the +spiritual powers, and the emperor, and the empire would interpose +and bring the fugitive back again." + +"All depends upon you, all depends upon you," whispered his wife, +half-weeping and half-smiling. "I think, however, nevertheless, that +you will keep me with you: I love you so heartily. Now carry me +across to that little island that lies before us. The matter shall +be decided there. I could easily indeed glide through the rippling +waves, but it is so restful in your arms, and if you were to cast me +off, I shall have sweetly rested in them once more for the last +time." Huldbrand, full as he was of strange fear and emotion, knew +not what to reply. He took her in his arms and carried her across, +remembering now for the first time that this was the same little +island from which he had borne her back to the old fisherman on that +first night. On the further side he put her down on the soft grass, +and was on the point of placing himself lovingly near his beautiful +burden, when she said: "No, there opposite to me! I will read my +sentence in your eyes, before your lips speak; now, listen +attentively to what I will relate to you." And she began:-- + +"You must know, my loved one, that there are beings in the elements +which almost appear like mortals, and which rarely allow themselves +to become visible to your race. Wonderful salamanders glitter and +sport in the flames; lean and malicious gnomes dwell deep within the +earth; spirits, belonging to the air, wander through the forests, +and a vast family of water-spirits live in the lakes, and streams, +and brooks. In resounding domes of crystal, through which the sky +looks in with its sun and stars, these latter spirits find their +beautiful abode; lofty trees of coral with blue and crimson fruits +gleam in their gardens; they wander over the pure sand of the sea, +and among lovely variegated shells, and amid all exquisite treasures +of the old world, which the present is no longer worthy to enjoy; +all these the floods have covered with their secret veils of silver, +and the noble monuments sparkle below, stately and solemn, and +bedewed by the loving waters which allure from them many a beautiful +moss-flower and entwining cluster of sea-grass. Those, however, who +dwell there are very fair and lovely to behold, and for the most +part are more beautiful than human beings. Many a fisherman has been +so fortunate as to surprise some tender mermaid as she rose above +the waters and sang. He would tell afar of her beauty, and such +wonderful beings have been given the name of Undines. You, however, +are now actually beholding an Undine." + +The knight tried to persuade himself that his beautiful wife was +under the spell of one of her strange humors, and that she was +taking pleasure in teasing him with one of her extravagant +inventions. But repeatedly as he said this to himself, he could not +believe it for a moment; a strange shudder passed through him; +unable to utter a word, he stared at the beautiful narrator with an +immovable gaze. Undine shook her head sorrowfully, drew a deep sigh, +and then proceeded as follows:-- + +"Our condition would be far superior to that of other human +beings--for human beings we call ourselves, being similar to them in form +and culture--but there is one evil peculiar to us. We and our like +in the other elements, vanish into dust and pass away, body and +spirit, so that not a vestige of us remains behind; and when you +mortals hereafter awake to a purer life, we remain with the sand and +the sparks and the wind and the waves. Hence we have also no souls; +the element moves us, and is often obedient to us while we live, +though it scatters us to dust when we die; and we are merry, without +having aught to grieve us--merry as the nightingales and the little +gold-fishes and other pretty children of nature. But all things +aspire to be higher than they are. Thus, my father, who is a +powerful water-prince in the Mediterranean Sea, desired that his +only daughter should become possessed of a soul, even though she +must then endure many of the sufferings of those thus endowed. Such +as we are, however, can only obtain a soul by the closest union of +affection with one of your human race. I am now possessed of a soul, +and my soul thanks you, my inexpressibly beloved one, and it will +ever thank you, if you do not make my whole life miserable. For what +is to become of me, if you avoid and reject me? Still, I would not +retain you by deceit. And if you mean to reject me, do so now, and +return alone to the shore. I will dive into this brook, which is my +uncle; and here in the forest, far removed from other friends, he +passes his strange and solitary life. He is, however, powerful, and +is esteemed and beloved by many great streams; and as he brought me +hither to the fisherman, a light-hearted, laughing child, he will +take me back again to my parents, a loving, suffering, and +soul-endowed woman." + +She was about to say still more, but Huldbrand embraced her with the +most heartfelt emotion and love, and bore her back again to the +shore. It was not till he reached it, that he swore amid tears and +kisses, never to forsake his sweet wife, calling himself more happy +than the Greek Pygmalion, whose beautiful statue received life from +Venus and became his loved one. In endearing confidence, Undine +walked back to the cottage, leaning on his arm; feeling now for the +first time, with all her heart, how little she ought to regret the +forsaken crystal palaces of her mysterious father. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +HOW THE KNIGHT TOOK HIS YOUNG WIFE WITH HIM. + + +When Huldbrand awoke from his sleep on the following morning, and +missed his beautiful wife from his side, he began to indulge again +in the strange thoughts, that his marriage and the charming Undine +herself were but fleeting and deceptive illusions. But at the same +moment she entered the room, sat down beside him, and said: "I have +been out rather early to see if my uncle keeps his word. He has +already led all the waters back again into his own calm channel, and +he now flows through the forest, solitarily and dreamily as before. +His friends in the water and the air have also returned to repose: +all will again go on quietly and regularly, and you can travel +homeward when you will, dry-shod." It seemed to Huldbrand as though +he were in a waking dream, so little could he reconcile himself to +the strange relationship of his wife. Nevertheless he made no +remark on the matter, and the exquisite grace of his bride soon +lulled to rest every uneasy misgiving. When he was afterward +standing before the door with her, and looking over the green +peninsula with its boundary of clear waters, he felt so happy +in this cradle of his love, that he exclaimed: "Why shall we +travel so soon as to-day? We shall scarcely find more pleasant days +in the world yonder than those we have spent in this quiet little +shelter. Let us yet see the sun go down here twice or thrice more." + +"As my lord wills," replied Undine, humbly. "It is only that the old +people will, at all events, part from me with pain, and when they +now for the first time perceive the true soul within me, and how I +can now heartily love and honor, their feeble eyes will be dimmed +with plentiful tears. At present they consider my quietness and +gentleness of no better promise than before, like the calmness of +the lake when the air is still; and, as matters now are, they will +soon learn to cherish a flower or a tree as they have cherished me. +Do not, therefore, let me reveal to them this newly-bestowed and +loving heart, just at the moment when they must lose it for this +world; and how could I conceal it, if we remain longer together?" + +Huldbrand conceded the point; he went to the aged people and talked +with them over the journey, which he proposed to undertake +immediately. The holy father offered to accompany the young married +pair, and, after a hasty farewell, he and the knight assisted the +beautiful bride to mount her horse, and walked with rapid step by +her side over the dry channel of the forest-stream into the wood +beyond. Undine wept silently but bitterly, and the old people gave +loud expression to their grief. It seemed as if they had a +presentiment of all they were now losing in their foster-child. + +The three travellers had reached in silence the densest shades of +the forest. It must have been a fair sight, under that green canopy +of leaves, to see Undine's lovely form, as she sat on her noble and +richly ornamented steed, with the venerable priest in the white garb +of his order on one side of her, and on the other the blooming young +knight in his gay and splendid attire, with his sword at his girdle. +Huldbrand had no eyes but for his beautiful wife Undine, who had +dried her tears, had no eyes but for him, and they soon fell into a +mute, voiceless converse of glance and gesture, from which they were +only roused at length by the low talking of the reverend father with +a fourth traveller, who in the mean while had joined them +unobserved. + +He wore a white garment almost resembling the dress of the priests +order, except that his hood hung low over his face, and his whole +attire floated round him in such vast folds that he was obliged +every moment to gather it up, and throw it over his arm, or dispose +of it in some way, and yet it did not in the least seem to impede +his movements. When the young couple first perceived him, he was +just saying "And so, venerable sir. I have now dwelt for many years +here in the forest, and yet no one could call me a hermit, in your +sense of the word. For, as I said, I know nothing of penance, and I +do not think I have any especial need of it. I love the forest only +for this reason, that its beauty is quite peculiar to itself, and it +amuses me to pass along in my flowing white garments among the eases +and dusky shadows, while now and then a sweet sunbeam shines down +unexpectedly upon me." + +"You are a very strange man," replied the priest, "and I should like +to be more closely acquainted with you." + +"And to pass from one thing to another, who may you be yourself?" +asked the stranger. + +"I am called Father Heilmann," said the holy man; "and I come from +the monastery of 'our Lady' which lies on the other side of the +lake." + +"Indeed," replied the stranger; "my name is Kuhleborn, and so far as +courtesy is concerned I might claim the title of Lord of Kuhleborn, +or free Lord of Kuhleborn; for I am as free as the birds in the +forest and perhaps a little more so. For example, I have now +something to say to the young lady there." And before they were +aware of his intention, he was at the other side of the priest, +close beside Undine, stretching himself up to whisper something in +her ear. + +But she turned from him with alarm, and exclaimed: "I have nothing +more to do with you." + +"Ho, ho," laughed the stranger, "what is this immensely grand +marriage you have made, that you don't know your own relations any +longer? Have you forgotten your uncle Kuhleborn, who so faithfully +bore you on his back through this region?" + +"I beg you, nevertheless," replied Undine, "not to appear in my +presence again. I am now afraid of you; and suppose my husband +should learn to avoid me when he sees me in such strange company and +with such relations!" + +"My little niece," said Kuhleborn, "you must not forget that I am +with you here as a guide; the spirits of earth that haunt this place +might otherwise play some of their stupid pranks with you. Let me +therefore go quietly on with you; the old priest there remembered me +better than you appear to have done, for he assured me just now that +I seemed familiar to him, and that I must have been with him in the +boat, out of which he fell into the water. I was so, truly enough; +for I was the water-spout that carried him out of it and washed him +safely ashore for your wedding." + +Undine and the knight turned toward Father Heilmann; but he seemed +walking on, as in a sort of dream, and no longer to be conscious of +all that was passing. Undine then said to Kuhleborn, "I see yonder +the end of the forest. We no longer need your help, and nothing +causes us alarm but yourself. I beg you, therefore, in all love and +good-will, vanish, and let us proceed in peace." + +Kuhleborn seemed to become angry at this; his countenance assumed a +frightful expression, and he grinned fiercely at Undine, who +screamed aloud and called upon her husband for assistance. As quick +as lightning, the knight sprang to the other side of the horse, and +aimed his sharp sword at Kuhleborn's head. But the sword cut through +a waterfall, which was rushing down near them from a lofty crag; and +with a splash, which almost sounded like a burst of laughter, it +poured over them and wet them through to the skin. + +The priest, as if suddenly awaking, exclaimed "I have long been +expecting that, for the stream ran down from the height so close to +us. At first it really seemed to me like a man, and as if it could +speak." As the waterfall came rushing down, it distinctly uttered +these words in Huldbrand's ear:-- + + "Rash knight, + Brave knight, + Rage, feel I not, + Chide, will I not. + But ever guard thy little wife as well, + Rash knight, brave knight! Protect her well!" + +A few footsteps more, and they were upon open ground. The imperial +city lay bright before them, and the evening sun, which gilded its +towers, kindly dried the garments of the drenched wanderers. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +HOW THEY LIVED IN THE CITY. + + +The sudden disappearance of the young knight, Huldbrand von +Ringstetten, from the imperial city, had caused great sensation and +solicitude among those who had admired him, both for his skill in +the tournament and the dance, and no less so for his gentle and +agreeable manners. His servants would not quit the place without +their master, although not one of them would have had the courage to +go in quest of him into the shadowy recesses of the forest. They +therefore remained in their quarters, inactively hoping, as men are +wont to do, and keeping alive the remembrance of their lost lord by +their lamentations. When, soon after, the violent storms and floods +were observed, the less doubt was entertained as to the certain +destruction of the handsome stranger; and Bertalda openly mourned +for him and blamed herself for having allured the unfortunate knight +into the forest. Her foster-parents, the duke and duchess, had come +to fetch her away, but Bertalda entreated them to remain with her +until certain intelligence had been obtained of Huldbrand's fate. +She endeavored to prevail upon several young knights, who were +eagerly courting her, to follow the noble adventurer to the forest. +But she would not pledge her hand as a reward of the enterprise, +because she always cherished the hope of belonging to the returning +knight, and no glove, nor riband, nor even kiss, would tempt any one +to expose his life for the sake of bringing back such a dangerous +rival. + +When Huldbrand now suddenly and unexpectedly appeared, his servants. +and the inhabitants of the city, and almost every one, rejoiced. +Bertalda alone refused to do so; for agreeable as it was to the +others that he should bring with him such a beautiful bride, and +Father Heilmann as a witness of the marriage, Bertalda could feel +nothing but grief and vexation. In the first place, she had really +loved the young knight with all her heart, and in the next, her +sorrow at his absence had proclaimed this far more before the eyes +of all, than was now befitting. She still, however, conducted +herself as a wise maiden, reconciled herself to circumstances, and +lived on the most friendly terms with Undine, who was looked upon +throughout the city as a princess whom Huldbrand had rescued in the +forest from some evil enchantment. When she or her husband were +questioned on the matter, they were wise enough to be silent or +skilfully to evade the inquiries. Father Heilmann's lips were sealed +to idle gossip of any kind, and moreover, immediately after +Huldbrand's arrival, he had returned to his monastery; so that +people were obliged to be satisfied with their own strange +conjectures, and even Bertalda herself knew no more of the truth +than others. + +Day by day, Undine felt her affection increase for the fair maiden. +"We must have known each other before," she often used to say to +her, "or else, there must be some mysterious connection between us, +for one does not love another as dearly as I have loved you from the +first moment of our meeting without some cause--some deep and secret +cause." And Bertalda also could not deny the fact that she felt +drawn to Undine with a tender feeling of confidence, however much +she might consider that she had cause for the bitterest lamentation +at this successful rival. Biassed by this mutual affection, they +both persuaded--the one her foster-parents, the other her husband--to +postpone the day of departure from time to time; indeed, it was +even proposed that Bertalda should accompany Undine for a time to +castle Ringstetten, near the source of the Danube. + +They were talking over this plan one beautiful evening, as they were +walking by starlight in the large square of the Imperial city, under +the tall trees that enclose it. The young married pair had incited +Bertalda to join them in their evening walk, and all three were +strolling up and down under the dark-blue sky, often interrupting +their familiar talk to admire the magnificent fountain in the middle +of the square, as its waters rushed and bubbled forth with wonderful +beauty. It had a soothing happy influence upon them; between the +shadows of the trees there stole glimmerings of light from the +adjacent houses; a low murmur of children at play, and of others +enjoying their walk, floated around them; they were so alone, and +yet in the midst of the bright and living world; whatever had +appeared difficult by day, now became smooth as of itself; and the +three friends could no longer understand why the slightest +hesitation had existed with regard to Bertalda's visit to +Ringstetten. Presently, just as they were on the point of fixing the +day for their common departure, a tall man approached them from the +middle of the square, bowed respectfully to the company, and said +something in the ear of the young wife. Displeased as she was at the +interruption and its cause, she stepped a little aside with the +stranger, and both began to whisper together, as it seemed, in a +foreign tongue. Huldbrand fancied he knew the strange man, and he +stared so fixedly at him that he neither heard nor answered +Bertalda's astonished inquiries. + +All at once Undine, clapping her hands joyfully, and laughing, +quitted the stranger's side, who, shaking his head, retired hastily +and discontentedly, and vanished in the fountain. Huldbrand now felt +certain on the point, but Bertalda asked: "And what did the master +of the fountain want with you, dear Undine?" + +The young wife laughed within herself, and replied: "The day after +to-morrow, my dear child, on the anniversary of your name-day, you +shall know it." And nothing more would she disclose. She invited +Bertalda and sent an invitation to her foster-parents, to dine with +them on the appointed day, and soon after they parted. + +"Kuhleborn? was it Kuhleborn?" said Huldbrand, with a secret +shudder, to his beautiful bride, when they had taken leave of +Bertalda, and were now going home through the darkening streets. + +"Yes, it was he," replied Undine, "and he was going to say all sorts +of nonsensical things to me. But, in the midst, quite contrary to +his intention, he delighted me with a most welcome piece of news. If +you wish to hear it at once, my dear lord and husband, you have but +to command, and I will tell it you without reserve. But if you would +confer a real pleasure on your Undine, you will wait till the day +after to-morrow, and you will then have your share too in the +surprise." + +The knight gladly complied with his wife's desire, which had been +urged so sweetly, and as she fell asleep, she murmured smilingly to +herself: "Dear, dear Bertalda! How she will rejoice and be +astonished at what her master of the fountain told me!" + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +THE ANNIVERSARY OF BERTALDA'S NAME-DAY. + + +The company were sitting at dinner; Bertalda, looking like some +goddess of spring with her flowers and jewels, the presents of her +foster-parents and friends, was placed between Undine and Huldbrand. +When the rich repast was ended, and the last course had appeared, +the doors were left open, according to a good old German custom, +that the common people might look on, and take part in the festivity +of the nobles. Servants were carrying round cake and wine among the +spectators. Huldbrand and Bertalda were waiting with secret +impatience for the promised explanation, and sat with their eyes +fixed steadily on Undine. But the beautiful wife still continued +silent, and only kept smiling to herself with secret and hearty +satisfaction. All who knew of the promise she had given could see +that she was every moment on the point of betraying her happy +secret, and that it was with a sort of longing renunciation that she +withheld it, just as children sometimes delay the enjoyment of their +choicest morsels. Bertalda and Huldbrand shared this delightful +feeling, and expected with fearful hope the tidings which were to +fall from the lips of Undine. Several of the company pressed Undine +to sing. The request seemed opportune, and ordering her lute to be +brought, she sang the following words:-- + + Bright opening day, + Wild flowers so gay, + Tall grasses their thirst that slake, + On the banks of the billowy lake! + + What glimmers there so shining + The reedy growth entwining? + Is it a blossom white as snow + Fallen from heav'n here below? + + It is an infant, frail and dear! + With flowerets playing in its dreams + And grasping morning's golden beams; + Oh! whence, sweet stranger, art thou here? + + From some far-off and unknown strand, + The lake has borne thee to this land. + + Nay, grasp not tender little one, + With thy tiny hand outspread; + No hand will meet thy touch with love, + Mute is that flowery bed. + + The flowers can deck themselves so fair + And breathe forth fragrance blest, + Yet none can press thee to itself, + Like that far-off mother's breast. + + So early at the gate of life, + With smiles of heav'n on thy brow, + Thou hast the best of treasures lost, + Poor wand'ring child, nor know'st it now. + + A noble duke comes riding by, + And near thee checks his courser's speed, + And full of ardent chivalry + He bears thee home upon his steed. + + Much, endless much, has been thy gain! + Thou bloom'st the fairest in the land! + Yet ah! the priceless joy of all, + Thou'st left upon an unknown strand. + +Undine dropped her lute with a melancholy smile, and the eyes of +Bertalda's foster-parents were filled with tears. "Yes, so it was on +the morning that I found you, my poor sweet orphan," said the duke, +deeply agitated; "the beautiful singer is certainly right; we have +not been able to give you that `priceless joy of all.'" + +"But we must also hear how it fared with the poor parents," said +Undine, as she resumed her lute, and sang:-- + + Thro' every chamber roams the mother, + Moves and searches everywhere, + Seeks, she scarce knows what, with sadness, + And finds an empty house is there. + + An empty house! Oh, word of sorrow, + To her who once had been so blest, + Who led her child about by day + And cradled it at night to rest. + + The beech is growing green again, + The sunshine gilds its wonted spot, + But mother, cease thy searching vain! + Thy little loved one cometh not. + + And when the breath of eve blows cool, + And father in his home appears, + The smile he almost tries to wear + Is quenched at once by gushing tears. + + Full well he knows that in his home + He naught can find but wild despair, + He hears the mother's grieved lament + And no bright infant greets him there. + +"Oh! for God's sake, Undine, where are my parents?" cried the weeping +Bertalda; "you surely know; you have discovered them, you wonderful +being, for otherwise you would not have thus torn me heart. Are they +perhaps already here? Can it be?" Her eye passed quickly over the +brilliant company and lingered on a lady of high rank who was +sitting next her foster-father. Undine, however, turned toward the +door, while her eyes overflowed with the sweetest emotion. "Where +are the poor waiting parents?" she inquired, and, the old fisherman +and his wife advanced hesitatingly from the crowd of spectators. +Their glance rested inquiringly now on Undine, now on the beautiful +girl who was said to be their daughter "It is she," said the +delighted benefactress, in a faltering tone, and the two old people +hung round the neck of their recovered child, weeping and praising +God. + +But amazed and indignant, Bertalda tore herself from their embrace. +Such a recognition was too much for this proud mind, at a moment +when she had surely imagined that her former splendor would even be +increased, and when hope was deluding her with a vision of almost +royal honors. It seemed to her as if her rival had devised all this +on purpose signally to humble her before Huldbrand and the whole +world. She reviled Undine, she reviled the old people, and bitter +invectives, such as "deceiver" and "bribed impostors," fell from her +lips. Then the old fisherman's wife said in a low voice to herself: +"Ah me, she is become a wicked girl; and yet I feel in my heart that +she is my child." + +The old fisherman, however, had folded his hands, and was praying +silently that this might not be his daughter. Undine, pale as death, +turned with agitation from the parents to Bertalda, and from +Bertalda to the parents; suddenly cast down from that heaven of +happiness of which she had dreamed, and overwhelmed with a fear and +a terror such as she had never known even in imagination. "Have you +a soul? Have you really a soul, Bertalda?" she cried again and again +to her angry friend, as if forcibly to rouse her to consciousness +from some sudden delirium or maddening nightmare. But when Bertalda +only became more and more enraged, when the repulsed parents began +to weep aloud, and the company, in eager dispute, were taking +different sides, she begged in such a dignified and serious manner +to be allowed to speak in this her husband's hall, that all around +were in a moment silenced. She then advanced to the upper end of the +table, where Bertalda has seated herself, and with a modest and yet +proud air, while every eye was fixed upon her, she spoke as +follows:-- + +"My friends, you look so angry and disturbed and you have +interrupted my happy feast by your disputings. Ah! I knew nothing of +your foolish habits and your heartless mode of thinking, and I shall +never all my life long become accustomed to them. It is not my fault +that this affair has resulted in evil; believe me, the fault is with +yourselves alone, little as it may appear to you to be so. I have +therefore but little to say to you, but one thing I must say: I have +spoken nothing but truth. I neither can nor will give you proofs +beyond my own assertion, but I will swear to the truth of this. I +received this information from the very person who allured Bertalda +into the water, away from her parents, and who afterward placed her +on the green meadow in the duke's path." + +"She is an enchantress!" cried Bertalda, "a witch, who has +intercourse with evil spirits. She acknowledges it herself." + +"I do not," said Undine, with a whole heaven innocence and +confidence beaming, in her eyes. "I am no witch; only look at me." + +"She is false and boastful," interrupted Bertalda, "and she cannot +prove that I am the child of these low people. My noble parents, I +beg you to take me from this company and out of this city, where +they are only bent on insulting me." + +But the aged and honorable duke remained unmoved, and his wife, +said: "We must thoroughly examine how we are to act. God forbid that +we should move a step from this hall until we have done so." + +Then the old wife of the fisherman drew near, and making a low +reverence to the duchess, she said: "Noble, god-fearing lady, you +have opened my heart. I must tell you, if this evil-disposed young +lady is my daughter, she has a mark, like a violet, between her +shoulders, and another like it on the instep of her left foot. If +she would only go out of the hall with me!" + +"I shall not uncover myself before the peasant woman!" exclaimed +Bertalda, proudly turning her back on her. + +"But before me you will." rejoined the duchess, very gravely. +"Follow me into that room, girl, and the good old woman shall come +with us." The three disappeared, and the rest of the company +remained where they were, in silent expectation. After a short time +they returned; Bertalda was pale as death. "Right is right." said +the duchess; "I must therefore declare that our hostess has spoken +perfect, truth. Bertalda is the fisherman's daughter, and that is as +much as it is necessary to inform you here." + +The princely pair left with their adopted daughter; and at a sign +from the duke, the fisherman and his wife followed them. The other +guests retired in silence or with secret murmurs, and Undine sank +weeping into Huldbrand's arms. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +HOW THEY DEPARTED FROM THE IMPERIAL CITY. + + +The lord of Ringstetten would have certainly preferred the events of +this day to have been different; but even as they were, he could +scarcely regret them wholly, as they had exhibited his charming wife +under such a good and sweet and kindly aspect. "If I have given her +a soul," he could not help saying to himself, "I have indeed given +her a better one than my own;" and his only thought now was to speak +soothingly to the weeping Undine, and on the following morning to +quit with her a place which, after this incident, must have become +distasteful to her. It is true that she was not estimated +differently to what she had been. As something mysterious had long +been expected of her, the strange discovery of Bertalda's origin had +caused no great surprise, and every one who had heard the story and +had seen Bertalda's violent behavior, was disgusted with her alone. +Of this, however, the knight and his lady knew nothing as yet; and, +besides, the condemnation or approval of the public was equally +painful to Undine, and thus there was no better course to pursue +than to leave the walls of the old city behind them with all the +speed possible. + +With the earliest beams of morning a pretty carriage drove up to the +entrance gate for Undine: the horses which Huldbrand and his squires +were to ride stood near, pawing the ground with impatient eagerness. +The knight was leading his beautiful wife from the door, when a +fisher-girl crossed their way. "We do not need your fish," said +Huldbrand to her, "we are now starting on our journey." Upon this +the fisher-girl began to weep bitterly, and the young couple +perceived for the first time that it was Bertalda. They immediately +returned with her to their apartment, and learned from her that the +duke and duchess were so displeased at her violent and unfeeling +conduct on the preceding way, that they had entirely withdrawn their +protection from her, though not without giving her a rich portion. + +The fisherman, too, had been handsomely rewarded, and had the +evening before set out with his wife to return to their secluded +home. + +"I would have gone with them," she continued, "but the old +fisherman, who is said to be my father"-- + +"And he is so indeed, Bertalda," interrupted Undine. "Look here, the +stranger, whom you took for the master of the fountain, told me the +whole story in detail. He wished to dissuade me from taking you with +me to castle Ringstetten, and this led him to disclose the secret." + +"Well, then," said Bertalda, "if it must be so, my father said, 'I +will not take you with me until you are changed. Venture to come to +us alone through the haunted forest; that shall be the proof whether +you have any regard for us. But do not come to me as a lady; come +only as a fisher-girl!' So I will do just as he has told me, for I +am forsaken by the whole world, and I will live and die in solitude +as a poor fisher-girl, with my poor parents. I have a terrible dread +though of the forest. Horrible spectres are said to dwell in it, and +I am so fearful. But how can I help it? I only came here to implore +pardon of the noble lady of Ringstetten for my unbecoming behavior +yesterday. I feel sure, sweet lady, you meant to do me a kindness, +but you knew not how you would wound me, and in my agony and +surprise, many a rash and frantic expression passed my lips. Oh +forgive, forgive! I am already so unhappy. Only think yourself what +I was yesterday morning, yesterday at the beginning of your banquet, +and what I am now!" + +Her voice became stifled with a passionate flood of tears, and +Undine, also weeping bitterly, fell on her neck. It was some time +before the deeply agitated Undine could utter a word; at length she +said:-- + +"You can go with us to Ringstetten; everything shall remain as it +was arranged before; only do not speak to me again as 'noble lady.' +You see, we were exchanged for each other as children; our faces +even then sprang as it were from the same stem, and we will now so +strengthen this kindred destiny that no human power shall be able to +separate it. Only, first of all, come with us to Ringstetten. We +will discuss there how we shall share all things as sisters." + +Bertalda looked timidly toward Huldbrand. He pitied the beautiful +girl in her distress, and offering her his hand he begged her +tenderly to intrust herself with him and his wife. "We will send a +message to your parents," he continued, "to tell them why you are +not come;" and he would have added more with regard to the worthy +fisherman and his wife, but he saw that Bertalda shrunk with pain +from the mention of their name, and he therefore refrained from +saying more. + +He then assisted her first into the carriage, Undine followed her; +and he mounted his horse and trotted merrily by the side of them, +urging the driver at the same time to hasten his speed, so that very +soon they were beyond the confines of the imperial city and all its +sad remembrances; and now the ladies began to enjoy the beautiful +country through which their road lay. + +After a journey of some days, they arrived one exquisite evening, at +castle Ringstetten. The young knight had much to hear from his +overseers and vassals, so that Undine and Bertalda were left alone. + +They both repaired to the ramparts of the fortress, and were +delighted with the beautiful landscape which spread far and wide +through fertile Swabia. + +Presently a tall man approached them, greeting them respectfully, +and Bertalda fancied she saw a resemblance to the master of the +fountain in the imperial city. Still more unmistakable grew the +likeness, when Undine angrily and almost threateningly waved him +off, and he retreated with hasty steps and shaking head, as he had +done before, and disappeared into a neighboring copse. Undine, +however, said: + +"Don't be afraid, dear Bertalda, this time the hateful master of the +fountain shall do you no harm." And then she told her the whole +story in detail, and who she was herself, and how Bertalda had been +taken away from the fisherman and his wife, and Undine had gone to +them. The girl was at first terrified with this relation; she +imagined her friend must be seized with sudden madness, but she +became more convinced that all was true, for Undine's story was so +connected, and fitted so well with former occurrences, and still +more she had that inward feeling with which truth never fails to +make itself known to us. It seemed strange to her that she was now +herself living, as it were, in the midst of one of those fairy tales +to which she had formerly only listened. + +She gazed upon Undine with reverence, but she could not resist a +sense of dread that seemed to come between her and her friend, and +at their evening repast she could not but wonder how the knight +could behave so lovingly and kindly toward a being who appeared to +her, since the discovery she had just made, more of a phantom than a +human being. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +HOW THEY LIVED AT CASTLE RINGSTETTEN. + + +The writer of this story, both because it moves his own heart, and +because he wishes it to move that of others, begs you, dear reader, +to pardon him, if he now briefly passes over a considerable space of +time, only cursorily mentioning the events that marked it. He knows +well that he might portray skilfully, step by step, how Huldbrand's +heart began to turn from Undine to Bertalda; how Bertalda more and +more responded with ardent affection to the young knight, and how +they both looked upon the poor wife as a mysterious being rather to +be feared than pitied; how Undine wept, and how her tears stung the +knight's heart with remorse without awakening his former love, so +that though he at times was kind and endearing to her, a cold +shudder would soon draw him from her, and he would turn to his +fellow-mortal, Bertalda. All this the writer knows might be fully +detailed, and perhaps ought to have been so; but such a task would +have been too painful, for similar things have been known to him by +sad experience, and he shrinks from their shadow even in +remembrance. You know probably a like feeling, dear reader, for such +is the lot of mortal man. Happy are you if you have received rather +than inflicted the pain, for in such things it is more blessed to +receive than to give. If it be so, such recollections will only +bring a feeling of sorrow to your mind, and perhaps a tear will +trickle down your cheek over the faded flowers that once caused you +such delight. But let that be enough. We will not pierce our hearts +with a thousand separate things, but only briefly state, as I have +just said, how matters were. + +Poor Undine was very sad, and the other two were not to be called +happy. Bertalda especially thought that she could trace the effect +of jealousy on the part of the injured wife whenever her wishes were +in any way thwarted by her. She had therefore habituated herself to +an imperious demeanor, to which Undine yielded in sorrowful +submission, and the now blinded Huldbrand usually encouraged this +arrogant behavior in the strongest manner. But the circumstance that +most of all disturbed the inmates of the castle, was a variety of +wonderful apparitions which met Huldbrand and Bertalda in the +vaulted galleries of the castle, and which had never been heard of +before as haunting the locality. The tall white man, in whom +Huldbrand recognized only too plainly Uncle Kuhleborn, and Bertalda +the spectral master of the fountain, often passed before them with a +threatening aspect, and especially before Bertalda; so much so, that +she had already several times been made ill with terror, and had +frequently thought of quitting the castle. But still she stayed +there, partly because Huldbrand was so dear to her, and she relied +on her innocence, no words of love having ever passed between them, +and partly also because she knew not whither to direct her steps. +The old fisherman, on receiving the message from the lord of +Ringstetten that Bertalda was his guest, had written a few lines in +an almost illegible hand, but as good as his advanced age and long +dis-would admit of. + +"I have now become," he wrote, "a poor old widower, for my dear and +faithful wife is dead. However lonely I now sit in my cottage, +Bertalda is better with you than with me. Only let her do nothing to +harm my beloved Undine! She will have my curse if it be so." The +last words of this letter, Bertalda flung to the winds, but she +carefully retained the part respecting her absence from her +father--just as we are all wont to do in similar circumstances. + +One day, when Huldbrand had just ridden out, Undine summoned +together the domestics of the family, and ordered them to bring a +large stone, and carefully to cover with it the magnificent fountain +which stood in the middle of the castle-yard. The servants objected +that it would oblige them to bring water from the valley below. +Undine smiled sadly. "I am sorry, my people," she replied, "to +increase your work. I would rather myself fetch up the pitchers, but +this fountain must be closed. Believe me that it cannot be +otherwise, and that it is only by so doing that we can avoid a +greater evil." + +The whole household were glad to be able to please their gentle +mistress; they made no further inquiry, but seized the enormous +stone. They were just raising it in their hands, and were already +poising it over the fountain, when Bertalda came running up, and +called out to them to stop, as it was from this fountain that the +water was brought which was so good for her complexion, and she +would never consent to its being closed. Undine, however, although +gentle as usual, was more than usually firm. She told Bertalda that +it was her due, as mistress of the house, to arrange her household +as she thought best, and that, in this, she was accountable to no +one but her lord and husband. "See, oh, pray see," exclaimed +Bertalda, in an angry, yet uneasy tone, "how the poor beautiful +water is curling and writhing at being shut out from the bright +sunshine and from the cheerful sight of the human face, for whose +mirror it was created!" + +The water in the fountain was indeed wonderfully agitated and +hissing; it seemed as if something within were struggling to free +itself, but Undine only the more earnestly urged the fulfilment of +her orders. The earnestness was scarcely needed. The servants of the +castle were as happy in obeying their gentle mistress as in opposing +Bertalda's haughty defiance; and in spite of all the rude scolding +and threatening of the latter the stone was soon firmly lying over +the opening of the fountain. Undine leaned thoughtfully over it, and +wrote with her beautiful fingers on its surface. She must, however, +have had something very sharp and cutting in her hand, for when she +turned away, and the servants drew near to examine the stone, they +perceived various strange characters upon it, which none of them had +seen there before. + +Bertalda received the knight, on his return home in the evening, +with tears and complaints of Undine's conduct. He cast a serious +look at his poor wife, and she looked down as if distressed. Yet she +said with great composure: "My lord and husband does not reprove +even a bondslave without a hearing, how much less then, his wedded +wife?" + +"Speak," said the knight with a gloomy countenance, "what induced +you to act so strangely?" + +"I should like to tell you when we are quite alone," sighed Undine. + +"You can tell me just as well in Bertalda's presence," was the +rejoinder. + +"Yes, if you command me," said Undine; "but command it not. Oh pray, +pray command it not!" + +She looked so humble, so sweet, and obedient, that the knight's +heart felt a passing gleam from better times. He kindly placed her +arm within his own, and led her to his apartment, when she began to +speak as follows:-- + +"You already know, my beloved lord, something of my evil uncle, +Kuhleborn, and you have frequently been displeased at meeting him in +the galleries of this castle. He has several times frightened +Bertalda into illness. This is because he is devoid of soul, a mere +elemental mirror of the outward world, without the power of +reflecting the world within. He sees, too, sometimes, that you are +dissatisfied with me; that I, in my childishness, am weeping at +this, and that Bertalda perhaps is at the very same moment laughing. +Hence he imagines various discrepancies in our home life, and in +many ways mixes unbidden with our circle. What is the good of +reproving him? What is the use of sending him angrily away? He does +not believe a word I say. His poor nature has no idea that the joys +and sorrows of love have so sweet a resemblance, and are so closely +linked that no power can separate them. Amid tears a smile shines +forth, and a smile allures tears from their secret chambers." + +She looked up at Huldbrand, smiling and weeping; and he again +experienced within his heart all the charm of his old love. She felt +this, and pressing him more tenderly to her, she continued amid +tears of joy:-- + +"As the disturber of our peace was not to be dismissed with words, I +have been obliged to shut the door upon him. And the only door by +which he obtains access to us is that fountain. He is cut off by the +adjacent valleys from the other water-spirits in the neighborhood, +and his kingdom only commences further off on the Danube, into which +some of his good friends direct their course. For this reason I had +the stone placed over the opening of the fountain, and I inscribed +characters upon it which cripple all my uncle's power, so that he +can now neither intrude upon you, nor upon me, nor upon Bertalda. +Human beings, it is true, can raise the stone again with ordinary +effort, in spite of the characters inscribed on it. The inscription +does not hinder them. If you wish, therefore, follow Bertalda's +desire, but, truly! she knows not what she asks. The rude Kuhleborn +has set his mark especially upon her; and if much came to pass which +he has predicted to me, and which might, indeed, happen without your +meaning any evil, ah! dear one, even you would then be exposed to +danger!" + +Huldbrand felt deeply the generosity of his sweet wife, in her +eagerness to shut up her formidable protector, while she had even +been chided for it by Bertalda. He pressed her in his arms with the +utmost affection, and said with emotion: "The stone shall remain, +and all shall remain, now and ever, as you wish to have it, my sweet +Undine." + +She caressed him with humble delight, as she heard the expressions +of love so long withheld, and then at length she said: "My dearest +husband, you are so gentle and kind to-day, may I venture to ask a +favor of you? See now, it is just the same with you as it is with +summer. In the height of its glory, summer puts on the flaming and +thundering crown of mighty storms, and assumes the air of a king +over the earth. You, too, sometimes, let your fury rise, and your +eyes flash and your voice is angry, and this becomes you well, +though I, in my folly, may sometimes weep at it. But never, I pray +you, behave thus toward me on the water, or even when we are near +it. You see, my relatives would then acquire a right over me. They +would unrelentingly tear me from you in their rage; because they +would imagine that one of their race was injured, and I should be +compelled all my life to dwell below in the crystal palaces, and +should never dare to ascend to you again; or they would send me up +to you--and that, oh God, would be infinitely worse. No, no, my +beloved husband, do not let it come to that, if your poor Undine is +dear to you." + +He promised solemnly to do as she desired, and they both returned +from the apartment, full of happiness and affection. At that moment +Bertalda appeared with some workmen, to whom she had already given +orders, and said in a sullen tone, which she had assumed of late: "I +suppose the secret conference is at an end, and now the stone may be +removed. Go out, workmen, and attend to it." + +But the knight, angry at her impertinence, desired in short and very +decisive words that the stone should be left: he reproved Bertalda, +too, for her violence toward his wife. Whereupon the workmen +withdrew, smiling with secret satisfaction: while Bertalda, pale +with rage, hurried away to her room. + +The hour for the evening repast arrived, and Bertalda they waited for +in vain. They sent after her, but the domestic found her apartments +empty, and only brought back with him a sealed letter addressed to +the knight. He opened it with alarm, and read: "I feel with shame +that I am only a poor fisher-girl. I will expiate my fault in having +forgotten this for a moment by going to the miserable cottage of my +parents. Farewell to you and your beautiful wife." + +Undine was heartily distressed. She earnestly entreated Huldbrand to +hasten after their friend and bring her back again. Alas! she had no +need to urge him. His affection for Bertalda burst forth again with +vehemence. He hurried round the castle, inquiring if any one had +seen which way the fugitive had gone. He could learn nothing of her, +and he was already on his horse in the castle-yard, resolved at a +venture to take the road by which he had brought Bertalda hither. +Just then a page appeared, who assured him that he had met the lady +on the path to the Black Valley. Like an arrow the knight sprang +through the gateway in the direction indicated, without hearing +Undine's voice of agony, as she called to him from the window:-- + +"To the Black Valley! Oh, not there! Huldbrand, don't go there! or, +for heaven's sake, take me with you!" But when she perceived that +all her calling was in vain, she ordered her white palfrey to be +immediately saddled, and rode after the knight, without allowing any +servant to accompany her. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +HOW BERTALDA RETURNED HOME WITH THE KNIGHT. + + +The Black Valley lies deep within the mountains. What it is now +called we do not know. At that time the people of the country gave +it this appellation on account of the deep obscurity in which the +low land lay, owing to the shadows of the lofty trees, and +especially firs, that grew there. Even the brook which bubbled +between the rocks wore the same dark hue, and dashed along with none +of that gladness with which streams are wont to flow that have the +blue sky immediately above them. Now, in the growing twilight of +evening, it looked wild and gloomy between the heights. The knight +trotted anxiously along the edge of the brook, fearful at one moment +that by delay he might allow the fugitive to advance too far, and at +the next that by too great rapidity he might overlook her in case +she were concealing herself from him. Meanwhile he had already +penetrated tolerably far into the valley, and might soon hope to +overtake the maiden, if he were on the right track. The fear that +this might not be the case made his heart beat with anxiety. Where +would the tender Bertalda tarry through the stormy night, which was +so fearful in the valley, should he fail to find her? At length he +saw something white gleaming through the branches on the slope of +the mountain. He thought he recognized Bertalda's dress, and he +turned his course in that direction. But his horse refused to go +forward; it reared impatiently; and its master, unwilling to lose a +moment, and seeing moreover that the copse was impassable on +horseback, dismounted; and, fastening his snorting steed to an +elm-tree, he worked his way cautiously through the bushes. The branches +sprinkled his forehead and cheeks with the cold drops of the evening +dew; a distant roll of thunder was heard murmuring from the other +side of the mountains; everything looked so strange that he began to +feel a dread of the white figure, which now lay only a short +distance from him on the ground. Still he could plainly see that it +was a female, either asleep or in a swoon, and that she was attired +in long white garments, such as Bertalda had worn on that day. He +stepped close up to her, made a rustling with the branches, and let +his sword clatter, but she moved not. "Bertalda!" he exclaimed, at +first in a low voice, and then louder and louder--still she heard +not. At last, when he uttered the dear name with a more powerful +effort, a hollow echo from the mountain-caverns of the valley +indistinctly reverberated "Bertalda!" but still the sleeper woke +not. He bent down over her; the gloom of the valley and the +obscurity of approaching night would not allow him to distinguish +her features. + +Just as he was stooping closer over her, with a feeling of painful +doubt, a flash of lightning shot across the valley, and he saw +before him a frightfully distorted countenance, and a hollow voice +exclaimed: "Give me a kiss, you enamoured swain!" + +Huldbrand sprang up with a cry of horror, and the hideous figure +rose with him. "Go home!" it murmured; "wizards are on the watch. Go +home! or I will have you!" and it stretched out its long white arms +toward him. + +"Malicious Kuhleborn!" cried the knight, recovering himself, "What +do you concern me, you goblin? There, take your kiss!" And he +furiously hurled his sword at the figure. But it vanished like +vapor, and a gush of water which wetted him through left the knight +no doubt as to the foe with whom he had been engaged. + +"He wishes to frighten me back from Bertalda," said he aloud to +himself; "he thinks to terrify me with his foolish tricks, and to +make me give up the poor distressed girl to him, so that he can +wreak his vengeance on her. But he shall not do that, weak spirit of +the elements as he is. No powerless phantom can understand what a +human heart can do when its best energies are aroused." He felt the +truth of his words, and that the very expression of them had +inspired his heart with fresh courage. It seemed too as if fortune +were on his side, for he had not reached his fastened horse, when he +distinctly heard Bertalda's plaintive voice not far distant, and +could catch her weeping accents through the ever-increasing tumult +of the thunder and tempest. He hurried swiftly in the direction of +the sound, and found the trembling girl just attempting to climb the +steep, in order to escape in any way from the dreadful gloom of the +valley. He stepped, however, lovingly in her path, and bold and +proud as her resolve had before been, she now felt only too keenly +the delight, that the friend whom she so passionately loved should +rescue her from this frightful solitude, and that the joyous life in +the castle should be again open to her. She followed almost +unresisting, but so exhausted with fatigue that the knight was glad +to have brought her to his horse, which he now hastily unfastened, +in order to lift the fair fugitive upon it; and then, cautiously +holding the reins, he hoped to proceed through the uncertain shades +of the valley. + +But the horse had become quite unmanageable from the wild apparition +of Kuhleborn. Even the knight would have had difficulty in mounting +the rearing and snorting animal, but to place the trembling Bertalda +on its back was perfectly impossible. They determined, therefore, to +return home on foot. Drawing the horse after him by the bridle, the +knight supported the tottering girl with his other hand. Bertalda +exerted all her strength to pass quickly through the fearful valley, +but weariness weighed her down like lead, and every limb trembled, +partly from the terror she had endured when Kuhleborn had pursued +her, and partly from her continued alarm at the howling of the storm +and the pealing of the thunder through the wooded mountain. + +At last she slid from the supporting arm of her protector, and +sinking down on the moss, she exclaimed: "Let me lie here, my noble +lord; I suffer the punishment due to my folly, and I must now perish +here through weariness and dread." + +"No, sweet friend, I will never leave you!" cried Huldbrand, vainly +endeavoring to restrain his furious steed; for, worse than before, +it now began to foam and rear with excitement, until at last the +knight was glad to keep the animal at a sufficient distance from the +exhausted maiden lest her fears should be increased. But scarcely +had he withdrawn a few paces with the wild steed, than she began to +call after him in the most pitiful manner, believing that he was +really going to leave her in this horrible wilderness. He was +utterly at a loss what course to take. Gladly would he have given +the excited beast its liberty and have allowed it to rush away into +the night and spend its fury, had he not feared that is this narrow +defile it might come thundering with its iron-shod hoofs over the +very spot where Bertalda lay. + +In the midst of this extreme perplexity and distress, he heard with +delight the sound of a vehicle driving slowly down the stony road +behind them. He called out for help; and a man's voice replied, +bidding him have patience, but promising assistance; and soon after, +two gray horses appeared through the bushes, and beside them the +driver in the white smock of a carter; a great white linen cloth was +next visible, covering the goods apparently contained in the wagon. +At a loud shout from their master, the obedient horses halted. The +driver then came toward the knight, and helped him in restraining +his foaming animal. + +"I see well," said he, "what ails the beast. When I first travelled +this way, my horses were no better. The fact is, there is an evil +water-spirit haunting the place, and he takes delight in this sort +of mischief. But I have learned a charm; if you will let me whisper +it in your horse's ear, he will stand at once just as quiet as my +gray beasts are doing there." + +"Try your luck then, only help us quickly!" exclaimed the impatient +knight. The wagoner then drew down the head of the rearing charger +close to his own, and whispered something in his ear. In a moment +the animal stood still and quiet, and his quick panting and reeking +condition was all that remained of his previous unmanageableness. +Huldbrand had no time to inquire how all this had been effected. He +agreed with the carter that he should take Bertalda on his wagon, +where, as the man assured him, there were a quantity of soft +cotton-bales, upon which she could be conveyed to castle Ringstetten, and +the knight was to accompany them on horseback. But the horse +appeared too much exhausted by its past fury to be able to carry its +master so far, so the carter persuaded Huldbrand to get into the +wagon with Bertalda. The horse could be fastened on behind. "We are +going down hill," said he, "and that will make it light for my gray +beasts." + +The knight accepted the offer and entered the wagon with Bertalda; +the horse followed patiently behind, and the wagoner, steady and +attentive, walked by the side. + +In the stillness of the night, as its darkness deepened and the +subsiding tempest sounded more and more remote, encouraged by the +sense of security and their fortunate escape, a confidential +conversation arose between Huldbrand and Bertalda. With flattering +words he reproached her for her daring flight; she excused herself +with humility and emotion, and from every word she said a gleam +shone forth which disclosed distinctly to the lover that the beloved +was his. The knight felt the sense of her words far more than he +regarded their meaning, and it was the sense alone to which he +replied. Presently the wagoner suddenly shouted with loud voice,-- + +"Up, my grays, up with your feet, keep together! remember who you +are!" + +The knight leaned out of the wagon and saw that the horses were +stepping into the midst of a foaming stream or were already almost +swimming, while the wheels of the wagon were rushing round and +gleaming like mill-wheels, and the wagoner had got up in front, in +consequence of the increasing waters. + +"What sort of a road is this? It goes into the middle of the +stream." cried Huldbrand to his guide. + +"Not at all, sir." returned the other, laughing, "it is just the +reverse, the stream goes into the very middle of our road. Look +round and see how everything is covered by the water." + +The whole valley indeed was suddenly filled with the surging flood, +that visibly increased. "It is Kuhleborn, the evil water-spirit, who +wishes to drown us!" exclaimed the knight. "Have you no charm, +against him, my friend?" + +"I know indeed of one," returned the wagoner, "but I cannot and may +not use it until you know who I am." + +"Is this a time for riddles?" cried the knight. "The flood is ever +rising higher, and what does it matter to me to know who you are?" + +"It does matter to you, though," said the wagoner, "for I am +Kuhleborn." + +So saying, he thrust his distorted face into the wagon with a grin, +but the wagon was a wagon no longer, the horses were not horses--all +was transformed to foam and vanished in the hissing waves, and even +the wagoner himself, rising as a gigantic billow, drew down the +vainly struggling horse beneath the waters, and then swelling higher +and higher, swept over the heads of the floating pair, like some +liquid tower, threatening to bury them irrecoverably. + +Just then the soft voice of Undine sounded through the uproar, the +moon emerged from the clouds, and by its light Undine was seen on +the heights above the valley. She rebuked, she threatened the floods +below; the menacing, tower-like wave vanished, muttering and +murmuring, the waters flowed gently away in the moonlight, and like +a white dove, Undine flew down from the height, seized the knight +and Bertalda, and bore them with her to a fresh, green, turfy spot +on the hill, where with choice refreshing restoratives, she +dispelled their terrors and weariness; then she assisted Bertalda to +mount the white palfrey, on which she had herself ridden here, and +thus all three returned back to castle Ringstetten. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +THE JOURNEY TO VIENNA. + + +After this last adventure, they lived quietly and happily at the +castle. The knight more and more perceived the heavenly goodness of +his wife, which had been so nobly exhibited by her pursuit, and by +her rescue of them in the Black Valley, where Kuhleborn's power +again commenced; Undine herself felt that peace and security, which +is never lacking to a mind so long as it is distinctly conscious of +being on the right path, and besides, in the newly-awakened love and +esteem of her husband, many a gleam of hope and joy shone upon her. +Bertalda, on the other hand, showed herself grateful, humble and +timid, without regarding her conduct as anything meritorious. +Whenever Huldbrand or Undine were about to give her any explanation +regarding the covering of the fountain or the adventure in the Black +Valley, she would earnestly entreat them to spare her the recital, +as she felt too much shame at the recollection of the fountain, and +too much fear at the remembrance of the Black Valley. She learned +therefore nothing further of either; and for what end was such +knowledge necessary? Peace and joy had visibly taken up their abode +at castle Ringstetten. They felt secure on this point, and imagined +that life could now produce nothing but pleasant flowers and fruits. + +In this happy condition of things, winter had come and passed away, +and spring, with its fresh green shoots and its blue sky, was +gladdening the joyous inmates of the castle. Spring was in harmony +with them, and they with spring. What wonder then, that its storks +and swallows inspired them also with a desire to travel? One day +when they were taking a pleasant walk to one of the sources of the +Danube, Huldbrand spoke of the magnificence of the noble river, and +how it widened as it flowed through countries fertilized by its +waters, how the charming city of Vienna shone forth on its banks, +and how with every step of its course it increased in power and +loveliness. + +"It must be glorious to go down the river as far as Vienna!" +exclaimed Bertalda, but immediately relapsing into her present +modesty and humility, she paused and blushed deeply. + +This touched Undine deeply, and with the liveliest desire to give +pleasure to her friend, she said: "What hinders us from starting on +the little voyage?" + +Bertalda exhibited the greatest delight, and both she and Undine +began at once to picture the tour of the Danube in the brightest +colors. Huldbrand also gladly agreed to the prospect; only he once +whispered anxiously in Undine's ear,-- + +"But Kuhleborn becomes possessed of his power again out there!" + +"Let him come," she replied with a smile, "I shall be there, and he +ventures upon none of his mischief before me." The last impediment +was thus removed; they prepared for the journey, and soon after set +out upon it with fresh spirits and the brightest hopes. + +But wonder not, oh man, if events always turn out different to what +we have intended. That malicious power, lurking for our destruction, +gladly lulls its chosen victim to sleep with sweet songs and golden +delusions; while on the other hand the rescuing messenger from +Heaven often knocks sharply and alarmingly at our door. + +During the first few days of their voyage down the Danube they were +extremely happy. Everything grew more and more beautiful as they +sailed further and further down the proudly flowing stream. But in a +region otherwise so pleasant, and in the enjoyment of which they had +promised themselves the purest delight, the ungovernable Kuhleborn +began, undisguisedly, to exhibit his power of interference. This was +indeed manifested in mere teasing tricks, for Undine often rebuked +the agitated waves, or the contrary winds, and then the violence of +the enemy would be immediately humbled; but again the attacks would +be renewed, and again Undine's reproofs would become necessary, so +that the pleasure of the little party was completely destroyed. The +boatmen too were continually whispering to each other in dismay, and +looking with distrust at the three strangers, whose servants even +began more and more to forebode something uncomfortable, and to +watch their superiors with suspicious glances. Huldbrand often said +to himself: "This comes from like not being linked with like, from a +man uniting himself with a mermaid!" Excusing himself as we all love +to do, he would often think indeed as he said this: "I did not +really know that she was a sea-maiden, mine is the misfortune, that +every step I take is disturbed and haunted by the wild caprices of +her race, but mine is not the fault." By thoughts such as these, he +felt himself in some measure strengthened, but on the other hand, he +felt increasing ill-humor, and almost animosity toward Undine. He +would look at her with an expression of anger, the meaning of which +the poor wife understood well. Wearied with this exhibition of +displeasure, and exhausted by the constant effort to frustrate +Kuhleborn's artifices, she sank one evening into a deep slumber, +rocked soothingly by the softly gliding bark. + +Scarcely, however, had she closed her eyes than every one in the +vessel imagined he saw, in whatever direction he turned, a most +horrible human head; it rose out of the waves, not like that of a +person swimming, but perfectly perpendicular as if invisibly +supported upright on the watery surface, and floating along in the +same course with the bark. Each wanted to point out to the other the +cause of his alarm, but each found the same expression of horror +depicted on the face of his neighbor, only that his hands and eyes +were directed to a different point where the monster, half-laughing +and half-threatening, rose before him. When, however, they all +wished to make each other understand what each saw, and all were +crying out: "Look there! No, there!" the horrible heads all at one +and the same time appeared to their view, and the whole river around +the vessel swarmed with the most hideous apparitions. The universal +cry raised at the sight awoke Undine. As she opened her eyes, the +wild crowd of distorted visages disappeared. But Huldbrand was +indignant at such unsightly jugglery. He would have burst forth in +uncontrolled imprecations had not Undine said to him with a humble +manner and a softly imploring tone: "For God's sake, my husband, we +are on the water, do not be angry with me now." + +The knight was silent, and sat down absorbed in revery. Undine +whispered in his ear: "Would it not be better, my love, if we gave +up this foolish journey, and returned to castle Ringstetten in +peace?" + +But Huldbrand murmured moodily: "So I must be a prisoner in my own +castle, and only be able to breathe so long as the fountain is +closed! I would your mad kindred"--Undine lovingly pressed her fair +hand upon his lips. He paused, pondering in silence over much that +Undine had before said to him. + +Bertalda had meanwhile given herself up to a variety of strange +thoughts. She knew a good deal of Undine's origin, and yet not the +whole, and the fearful Kuhleborn especially had remained to her a +terrible but wholly unrevealed mystery. She had indeed never even +heard his name. Musing on these strange things, she unclasped, +scarcely conscious of the act, a gold necklace, which Huldbrand had +lately purchased for her of a travelling trader; half dreamingly she +drew it along the surface of the water, enjoying the light glimmer +it cast upon the evening-tinted stream. Suddenly a huge hand was +stretched out of the Danube, it seized the necklace and vanished +with it beneath the waters. Bertalda screamed aloud, and a scornful +laugh resounded from the depths of the stream. The knight could now +restrain his anger no longer. Starting up, he inveighed against the +river; he cursed all who ventured to interfere with his family and +his life, and challenged them, be they spirits or sirens, to show +themselves before his avenging sword. + +Bertalda wept meanwhile for her lost ornament, which was so precious +to her, and her tears added fuel to the flame of the knight's anger, +while Undine held her hand over the side of the vessel, dipping it +into the water, softly murmuring to herself, and only now and then +interrupting her strange mysterious whisper, as she entreated her +husband: "My dearly loved one, do not scold me here; reprove others +if you will, but not me here. You know why!" And indeed, he +restrained the words of anger that were trembling on his tongue. +Presently in her wet hand which she had been holding under the +waves, she brought up a beautiful coral necklace of so much +brilliancy that the eyes of all were dazzled by it. + +"Take this," said she, holding it out kindly to Bertalda; "I have +ordered this to be brought for you as a compensation, and don't be +grieved any more, my poor child." + +But the knight sprang between them. He tore the beautiful ornament +from Undine's hand, hurled it again into the river, exclaiming in +passionate rage: "Have you then still a connection with them? In the +name of all the witches, remain among them with your presents, and +leave us mortals in peace, you sorceress!" + +Poor Undine gazed at him with fixed but tearful eyes, her hand still +stretched out, as when she had offered her beautiful present so +lovingly to Bertalda. She then began to weep more and more +violently, like a dear innocent child bitterly afflicted. At last, +wearied out she said: + +"Alas, sweet friend, alas! farewell! They shall do you no harm; only +remain true, so that I may be able to keep them from you. I must, +alas! go away; I must go hence at this early stage of life. Oh woe, +woe! what have you done! Oh woe, woe!" + +She vanished over the side of the vessel. Whether she plunged into +the stream, or flowed away with it, they knew not; her disappearance +was like both and neither. Soon, however, she was completely lost +sight of in the Danube; only a few little waves kept whispering, as +if sobbing, round the boat, and they almost seemed to be saying: "Oh +woe, woe! oh remain true! oh woe!" + +Huldbrand lay on the deck of the vessel, bathed in hot tears, and a +deep swoon soon cast its veil of forgetfulness over the unhappy man. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +HOW IT FARED FURTHER WITH HULDBRAND. + + +Shall we say it is well or ill, that our sorrow is of such short +duration? I mean that deep sorrow which affects the very well-spring +of our life, which becomes so one with the lost objects of our love +that they are no longer lost, and which enshrines their image as a +sacred treasure, until that final goal is reached which they have +reached before us! It is true that many men really maintain these +sacred memories, but their feeling is no longer that of the first +deep grief. Other and new images have thronged between; we learn at +length the transitoriness of all earthly things, even to our grief, +and, therefore. I must say "Alas, that our sorrow should be of such +short duration?" + +The lord of Ringstetten experienced this whether for his good, we +shall hear in the sequel to this history. At first he could do +nothing but weep, and that as bitterly as the poor gentle Undine had +wept when he had torn from her hand that brilliant ornament with +which she had wished to set everything to rights. And then he would +stretch out his hand, as she had done, and would weep again, like +her. He cherished the secret hope that he might at length dissolve +in tears; and has not a similar hope passed before the mind of many +a one of us, with painful pleasure, in moments of great affliction? +Bertalda wept also, and they lived a long while quietly together at +Castle Ringstetten, cherishing Undine's memory, and almost wholly +forgetful of their former attachment to each other. And, therefore, +the good Undine often visited Huldbrand in his dreams; caressing him +tenderly and kindly, and then going away, weeping silently, so that +when he awoke he often scarcely knew why his cheeks were so wet; +whether they had been bathed with her tears, or merely with his own? + +These dream-visions became, however, less frequent as time passed +on, and the grief of the knight was less acute; still he would +probably have cherished no other wish than thus to think calmly of +Undine and to talk of her, had not the old fisherman appeared one +day unexpectedly at the castle, and sternly insisted on Bertalda's +returning with him as his child. The news of Undine's disappearance +had reached him, and he had determined on no longer allowing +Bertalda to reside at the castle with the widowed knight. + +"For," said he, "whether my daughter love me or no, I do not care to +know, but her honor is at stake, and where that is concerned, +nothing else is to be thought of." + +This idea of the old fisherman's, and the solitude which threatened +to overwhelm the knight in all the halls and galleries of the +desolate castle, after Bertalda's departure, brought out the +feelings that had slumbered till now and which had been wholly +forgotten in his sorrow for Undine; namely, Huldbrand's affection +for the beautiful Bertalda. The fisherman had many objections to +raise against the proposed marriage. Undine had been very dear to +the old fisherman, and he felt that no one really knew for certain +whether the dear lost one were actually dead. And if her body were +truly lying cold and stiff at the bottom of the Danube, or had +floated away with the current into the ocean, even then Bertalda was +in some measure to blame for her death, and it was unfitting for her +to step into the place of the poor supplanted one. Yet the fisherman +had a strong regard for the knight also; and the entreaties of his +daughter, who had become much more gentle and submissive, and her +tears for Undine, turned the scale, and he must at length have given +his consent, for he remained at the castle without objection, and a +messenger was despatched to Father Heilmann, who had united Undine +and Huldbrand in happy days gone by, to bring him to the castle for +the second nuptials of the knight. + +The holy man, however, had scarcely read the letter from the knight +of Ringstetten, than he set out on his journey to the castle, with +far greater expedition than even the messenger had used in going to +him. Whenever his breath failed in his rapid progress, or his aged +limbs ached with weariness, he would say to himself: "Perhaps the +evil may yet be prevented; fail not, my tottering frame, till you +have reached the goal!" And with renewed power he would then press +forward, and go on and on without rest or repose, until late one +evening he entered the shady court-yard of castle Ringstetten. + +The betrothed pair were sitting side by side under the trees, and +the old fisherman was near them, absorbed in thought. The moment +they recognized Father Heilmann, they sprang up, and pressed round +him with warm welcome. But he, without making much reply, begged +Huldbrand to go with him into the castle; and when the latter looked +astonished, and hesitated to obey the grave summons, the reverend +father said to him:-- + +"Why should I make any delay in wishing to speak to you in private, +Herr von Ringstetten? What I have to say concerns Bertalda and the +fisherman as much as yourself, and what a man has to hear, he may +prefer to hear as soon as possible. Are you then so perfectly +certain, Knight Huldbrand, that your first wife is really dead? It +scarcely seems so to me. I will not indeed say anything of the +mysterious condition in which she may be existing, and I know, too, +nothing of it with certainty. But she was a pious and faithful wife, +that is beyond all doubt; and for a fortnight past she has stood at +my bedside at night in my dreams, wringing her tender hands in +anguish and sighing out: 'Oh, prevent him, good father! I am still +living! oh, save his life! save his soul!' I did not understand what +this nightly vision signified; when presently your messenger came, +and I hurried thither, not to unite, but to separate, what ought not +to be joined together. Leave her, Huldbrand! Leave him, Bertalda! He +yet belongs to another; and do you not see grief for his lost wife +still written on his pale cheek? No bridegroom looks thus, and a +voice tells me that if you do not leave him, you will never be +happy." + +The three listeners felt in their innermost heart that Father +Heilmann spoke the truth, but they would not believe it. Even the +old fisherman was now so infatuated that he thought it could not be +otherwise than they had settled it in their discussions during the +last few days. They therefore all opposed the warnings of the priest +with a wild and gloomy rashness, until at length the holy father +quitted the castle with a sad heart, refusing to accept even for a +single night the shelter offered, or to enjoy the refreshments +brought him. Huldbrand, however, persuaded himself that the priest +was full of whims and fancies, and with dawn of day he sent for a +father from the nearest monastery, who, without hesitation, promised +to perform the ceremony in a few days. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +THE KNIGHT'S DREAM. + + +It was between night and dawn of day that the knight was lying on +his couch, half-waking, half-sleeping. Whenever he was on the point +of falling asleep a terror seemed to come upon him and scare his +rest away, for his slumbers were haunted with spectres. If he tried, +however, to rouse himself in good earnest he felt fanned as by the +wings of a swan, and he heard the soft murmuring of waters, until +soothed by the agreeable delusion, he sunk back again into a +half-conscious state. At length he must have fallen sound asleep, for +it seemed to him as if he were lifted up upon the fluttering wings of +the swans and borne by them far over land and sea, while they sang +to him their sweetest music. "The music of the swan! the music of +the swan!" he kept saying to himself; "does it not always portend +death?" But it had yet another meaning. All at once he felt as if he +were hovering over the Mediterranean Sea. A swan was singing +musically in his ear that this was the Mediterranean Sea. And while +he was looking down upon the waters below they became clear as +crystal, so that he could see through them to the bottom. He was +delighted at this, for he could see Undine sitting beneath the +crystal arch. It is true she was weeping bitterly, and looking much +sadder than in the happy days when they had lived together at the +castle of Ringstetten, especially at their commencement, and +afterward also, shortly before they had begun their unhappy Danube +excursion. The knight could not help thinking upon all this very +fully and deeply, but it did not seem as if Undine perceived him. + +Meanwhile Kuhleborn had approached her, and was on the point of +reproving her for her weeping. But she drew herself up, and looked +at him with such a noble and commanding air that he almost shrunk +back with fear. "Although I live here beneath the waters," said she, +"I have yet brought down my soul with me; and therefore I may well +weep, although you can not divine what such tears are. They too are +blessed, for everything is blessed to him in whom a true soul +dwells." + +He shook his head incredulously, and said, after some reflection: +"And yet, niece, you are subject to the laws of our element, and if +he marries again and is unfaithful to you, you are in duty bound to +take away his life." + +"He is a widower to this very hour," replied Undine, "and his sad +heart still holds me dear." + +"He is, however, at the same time betrothed," laughed Kuhleborn, +with scorn; "and let only a few days pass, and the priest will have +given the nuptial blessing, and then you will have to go upon earth +to accomplish the death of him who has taken another to wife." + +"That I cannot do," laughed Undine in return; "I have sealed up the +fountain securely against myself and my race." + +"But suppose he should leave his castle," said Kuhleborn, "or should +have the fountain opened again! for he thinks little enough of these +things." + +"It is just for that reason," said Undine, still smiling amid her +tears, "it is just for that reason, that he is now hovering in +spirit over the Mediterranean Sea, and is dreaming of this +conversation of ours as a warning. I have intentionally arranged it +so." + +Kuhleborn, furious with rage, looked up at the knight, threatened, +stamped with his feet, and then swift as an arrow shot under the +waves. It seemed as if he were swelling in his fury to the size of a +whale. Again the swans began to sing, to flap their wings, and to +fly. It seemed to the knight as if he were soaring away over +mountains and streams, and that he at length reached the castle +Ringstetten, and awoke on his couch. + +He did, in reality, awake upon his couch, and his squire coming in +at that moment informed him that Father Heilmann was still lingering +in the neighborhood; that he had met him the night before in the +forest, in a hut which he had formed for himself of the branches of +trees, and covered with moss and brushwood. To the question what he +was doing here, since he would not give the nuptial blessing, he had +answered: "There are other blessings besides those at the nuptial +altar, and though I have not gone to the wedding, it may be that I +shall be at another solemn ceremony. We must be ready for all +things. Besides, marrying and mourning are not so unlike, and every +one not wilfully blinded must see that well." + +The knight placed various strange constructions upon these words, +and upon his dream, but it is very difficult to break off a thing +which a man has once regarded as certain, and so everything remained +as it had been arranged. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND IS MARRIED. + + +If I were to tell you how the marriage-feast passed at castle +Ringstetten, it would seem to you as if you saw a heap of bright and +pleasant things, but a gloomy veil of mourning spread over them all, +the dark hue of which would make the splendor of the whole look less +like happiness than a mockery of the emptiness of all earthly joys. +It was not that any spectral apparitions disturbed the festive +company, for we know that the castle had been secured from the +mischief of the threatening water-spirits. But the knight and the +fisherman and all the guests felt as if the chief personage were +still lacking at the feast, and that this chief personage could be +none other than the loved and gentle Undine. Whenever a door opened, +the eyes of all were involuntarily turned in that direction, and if +it was nothing but the butler with new dishes, or the cup-bearer +with a flask of still richer wine, they would look down again sadly, +and the flashes of wit and merriment which had passed to and fro, +would be extinguished by sad remembrances. The bride was the most +thoughtless of all, and therefore the most happy; but even to her it +sometimes seemed strange that she should be sitting at the head of +the table, wearing a green wreath and gold-embroidered attire, while +Undine was lying at the bottom of the Danube, a cold and stiff +corpse, or floating away with the current into the mighty ocean. +For, ever since her father had spoken of something of the sort, his +words were ever ringing in her ear, and this day especially they +were not inclined to give place to other thoughts. + +The company dispersed early in the evening, not broken up by the +bridegroom himself, but sadly and gloomily by the joyless mood of +the guests and their forebodings of evil. Bertalda retired with her +maidens, and the knight with his attendants; but at this mournful +festival there was no gay, laughing train of bridesmaids and +bridesmen. + +Bertalda wished to arouse more cheerful thoughts; she ordered a +splendid ornament of jewels which Huldbrand had given her, together +with rich apparel and veils, to be spread out before her, in order +that from these latter she might select the brightest and most +beautiful for her morning attire. Her attendants were delighted at +the opportunity of expressing their good wishes to their young +mistress, not failing at the same time to extol the beauty of the +bride in the most lively terms. They were more and more absorbed in +these considerations, till Bertalda at length, looking in a mirror, +said with a sigh: "Ah, but don't you see plainly how freckled I am +growing here at the side of my neck?" + +They looked at her throat, and found the freckles as their fair +mistress had said, but they called them beauty-spots, and mere tiny +blemishes only, tending to enhance the whiteness of her delicate +skin. Bertalda shook her head and asserted that a spot was always a +defect. + +"And I could remove them," she sighed a last, "only the fountain is +closed from which I used to have that precious and purifying water. +Oh! if I had but a flask of it to-day!" + +"Is that all?" said an alert waiting-maid, laughing, as she slipped +from the apartment. + +"She will not be mad," exclaimed Bertalda, in a pleased and +surprised tone, "she will not be so mad as to have the stone removed +from the fountain this very evening!" At the same moment they heard +the men crossing the courtyard, and could see from the window how +the officious waiting-woman was leading them straight up to the +fountain, and that they were carrying levers and other instruments +on their shoulders. "It is certainly my will," said Bertalda, +smiling, "if only it does not take too long." And, happy in the +sense that a look from her now was able to effect what had formerly +been so painfully refused her, she watched the progress of the work +in the moonlit castle-court. + +The men raised the enormous stone with an effort; now and then +indeed one of their number would sigh, as he remembered that they +were destroying the work of their former beloved mistress. But the +labor was far lighter than they had imagined. It seemed as if a +power within the spring itself were aiding them in raising the +stone. + +"It is just," said the workmen to each other in astonishment, "as if +the water within had become a springing fountain." And the stone +rose higher and higher, and almost without the assistance of the +workmen, it rolled slowly down upon the pavement with a hollow +sound. But from the opening of the fountain there rose solemnly a +white column of water; at first they imagined it had really become a +springing fountain, till they perceived that the rising form was a +pale female figure veiled in white. She was weeping bitterly, +raising her hands wailingly above her head and wringing them, as she +walked with a slow and serious step to the castle-building. The +servants fled from the spring; the bride, pale and stiff with +horror, stood at the window with her attendants. When the figure had +now come close beneath her room, it looked moaningly up to her, and +Bertalda thought she could recognize beneath the veil the pale +features of Undine. But the sorrowing form passed on, sad, +reluctant, and faltering, as if passing to execution. + +Bertalda screamed out that the knight was to be called, but none of +her maids ventured from the spot; and even the bride herself became +mute, as if trembling at her own voice. + +While they were still standing fearfully at the window, motionless +as statues, the strange wanderer had reached the castle, had passed +up the well-known stairs, and through the well-known halls, ever in +silent tears. Alas! how differently had she once wandered through +them! + +The knight, partly undressed, had already dismissed his attendants, +and in a mood of deep dejection he was standing before a large +mirror; a taper was burning dimly beside him. There was a gentle tap +at his door. Undine used to tap thus when she wanted playfully to +tease him "It is all fancy," said he to himself; "I must seek my +nuptial bed." + +"So you must, but it must be a cold one!" he heard a tearful voice +say from without, and then he saw in the mirror his door opening +slowly--slowly--and the white figure entered, carefully closing it +behind her. "They have opened the spring," said she softly, "and now +I am here, and you must die." + +He felt in his paralyzed heart that it could not be otherwise, but +covering his eyes with his hands he said: "Do not make me mad with +terror in my hour of death. If you wear a hideous face behind that +veil, do not raise it, but take my life, and let me see you not." + +"Alas!" replied the figure, "will you then not look upon me once +more? I am as fair as when you wooed me on the promontory." + +"Oh, if it were so!" sighed Huldbrand, "and if I might die in your +fond embrace!" + +"Most gladly, my loved one," said she; and throwing her veil back, +her lovely face smiled forth divinely beautiful. Trembling with love +and with the approach of death, she kissed him with a holy kiss; but +not relaxing her hold she pressed him fervently to her, and as if +she would weep away her soul. Tears rushed into the knight's eyes, +and seemed to surge through his heaving breast, till at length his +breathing ceased, and he fell softly back from the beautiful arms of +Undine, upon the pillows of his couch--a corpse. + +"I have wept him to death," said she to some servants who met her in +the ante-chamber; and, passing through the affrighted group, she +went slowly out toward the fountain. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND WAS BURIED. + + +Father Heilmann had returned to the castle as soon as the death of +the lord of Ringstetten had been made known in the neighborhood, and +he appeared at the very same moment that the monk who had married +the unfortunate couple was fleeing from the gates overwhelmed with +fear and terror. + +"It is well," replied Heilmann, when he was informed of this; "now +my duties begin, and I need no associate." + +Upon this he began to console the bride, now a widow, small result +as it produced upon her worldly thoughtless mind. The old fisherman, +on the other hand, although heartily grieved, was far more resigned +to the fate which had befallen his daughter and son-in-law, and +while Bertalda could not refrain from abusing Undine as a murderess +and sorceress, the old man calmly said: "It could not be otherwise +after all; I see nothing in it but the judgment of God, and no one's +heart has been more deeply grieved by Huldbrand's death than that of +her by whom it was inflicted--the poor forsaken Undine!" + +At the same time he assisted in arranging the funeral solemnities as +befitted the rank of the deceased. + +The knight was to be interred in the village churchyard which was +filled with the graves of his ancestors. And this church had been +endowed with rich privileges and gifts both by these ancestors and +by himself. His shield and helmet lay already on the coffin, to be +lowered with it into the grave, for Sir Huldbrand, of Ringstetten, +had died the last of his race; the mourners began their sorrowful +march, singing requiems under the bright, calm canopy of heaven; +Father Heilmann walked in advance, bearing a high crucifix, and the +inconsolable Bertalda followed, supported by her aged father. +Suddenly, in the midst of the black-robed attendants in the widow's +train, a snow-white figure was seen, closely veiled, and wringing +her hands with fervent sorrow. Those near whom she moved felt a +secret dread, and retreated either backward or to the side, +increasing by their movements the alarm of the others near to whom +the white stranger was now advancing, and thus a confusion in the +funeral-train was well-nigh beginning. Some of the military escort +were so daring as to address the figure, and to attempt to remove it +from the procession; but she seemed to vanish from under their +hands, and yet was immediately seen advancing again amid the dismal +cortege with slow and solemn step. At length, in consequence of the +continued shrinking of the attendants to the right and to the left, +she came close behind Bertalda. The figure now moved so slowly that +the widow did not perceive it, and it walked meekly and humbly +behind her undisturbed. + +This lasted till they came to the churchyard, where the procession +formed a circle round the open grave. Then Bertalda saw her unbidden +companion, and starting up half in anger and half in terror, she +commanded her to leave the knight's last resting-place. The veiled +figure, however, gently shook her head in refusal, and raised her +hands as if in humble supplication to Bertalda, deeply agitating her +by the action, and recalling to her with tears how Undine had so +kindly wished to give her that coral necklace on the Danube. Father +Heilmann motioned with his hand and commanded silence, as they were +to pray in mute devotion over the body, which they were now covering +with the earth. Bertalda knelt silently, and all knelt, even the +grave-diggers among the rest, when they had finished their task. But +when they rose again, the white stranger had vanished; on the spot +where she had knelt there gushed out of the turf a little silver +spring, which rippled and murmured away till it had almost entirely +encircled the knight's grave; then it ran further and emptied itself +into a lake which lay by the side of the burial-place. Even to this +day the inhabitants of the village show the spring, and cherish the +belief that it is the poor rejected Undine, who in this manner still +embraces her husband in her loving arms. + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Undine, by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNDINE *** + +***** This file should be named 3714.txt or 3714.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/1/3714/ + +Produced by Charles Franks, Greg Weeks, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.07/27/01*END* + + + + + +This etext was produced by Charles Franks, Greg Weeks, +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + +UNDINE +BY +DE LA MOTTE FOUQUE + + + + +TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN +BY F. E. BUNNETT + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +DEDICATION + +CHAPTER + + I. HOW THE KNIGHT CAME TO THE FISHERMAN + + II. IN WHAT WAY UNDINE HAD COME TO THE FISHERMAN + + III. HOW THEY FOUND UNDINE AGAIN + + IV. OF THAT WHICH THE KNIGHT ENCOUNTERED IN THE WOOD + + V. HOW THE KNIGHT LIVED ON THE LITTLE PROMONTORY + + VI. OF A NUPTIAL CEREMONY + + VII. WHAT FURTHER HAPPENED ON THE EVENING OF THE WEDDING + + VIII. THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING + + IX. HOW THE KNIGHT TOOK HIS YOUNG WIFE WITH HIM + + X. HOW THEY LIVED IN THE CITY + + XI. THE ANNIVERSARY OF BERTALDA'S NAME-DAY + + XII. HOW THEY DEPARTED FROM THE IMPERIAL CITY + + XIII. HOW THEY LIVED AT CASTLE RINGSTETTEN + + XIV. HOW BERTALDA RETURNED HOME WITH THE KNIGHT + + XV. THE JOURNEY TO VIENNA + + XVI. HOW IT FARED FURTHER WITH HULDBRAND + + XVII. THE KNIGHT'S DREAM + +XVIII. HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND IS MARRIED + + XIX. HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND WAS BURIED + + + + +DEDICATION. + +Undine, thou image fair and blest, + Since first thy strange mysterious glance, + Shone on me from some old romance, + How hast thou sung my heart to rest! + +How hast thou clung to me and smiled, + And wouldest, whispering in my ear, + Give vent to all thy miseries drear, + A little half-spoiled timorous child! + +Yet hath my zither caught the sound, + And breathed from out its gates of gold, + Each gentle word thy lips have told, + Until their fame is spread around. + +And many a heart has loved thee well, + In spite of every wayward deed, + And many a one will gladly read, + The pages which thy history tell. + +I catch the whispered hope expressed, + That thou should'st once again appear; + So cast aside each doubt and fear, + And come, Undine! thou spirit blest! + +Greet every noble in the hall, + And greet 'fore all, with trusting air, + The beauteous women gathered there; + I know that thou art loved by all. + +And if one ask thee after me, + Say: he's a true and noble knight, + Fair woman's slave in song and fight + And in all deeds of chivalry. + + + +UNDINE. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +HOW THE KNIGHT CAME TO THE FISHERMAN. + + +There was once, it may be now many hundred years ago, a good old +fisherman, who was sitting one fine evening before his door, mending +his nets. The part of the country in which he lived was extremely +pretty. The greensward, on which his cottage stood, ran far into the +lake, and it seemed as if it was from love for the blue clear waters +that the tongue of land had stretched itself out into them, while +with an equally fond embrace the lake had encircled the green +pasture rich with waving grass and flowers, and the refreshing shade +of trees. The one welcomed the other, and it was just this that made +each so beautiful. There were indeed few human beings, or rather +none at all, to be met with on this pleasant spot, except the +fisherman and his family. For at the back of this little promontory +there lay a very wild forest, which, both from its gloom and +pathless solitude as well as from the wonderful creatures and +illusions with which it was said to abound, was avoided by most +people except in cases of necessity. + +The pious old fisherman, however, passed through it many a time +undisturbed, when he was taking the choice fish, which he had caught +at his beautiful home, to a large town situated not far from the +confines of the forest. The principal reason why it was so easy for +him to pass through this forest was because the tone of his thoughts +was almost entirely of a religious character, and besides this, +whenever he set foot upon the evil reputed shades, he was wont to +sing some holy song, with a clear voice and a sincere heart. + +While sitting over his nets this evening, unsuspicious of any evil, +a sudden fear came upon him, at the sound of a rustling in the gloom +of the forest, as of a horse and rider, the noise approaching nearer +and nearer to the little promontory. All that he had dreamed, in +many a stormy night, of the mysteries of the forest, now flashed at +once through his mind; foremost of all, the image of a gigantic +snow-white man, who kept unceasingly nodding his head in a +portentous manner. Indeed, when he raised his eyes toward the wood +it seemed to him as if he actually saw the nodding man approaching +through the dense foliage. He soon, however, reassured himself, +reflecting that nothing serious had ever befallen him even in the +forest itself, and that upon this open tongue of land the evil +spirit would be still less daring in the exercise of his power. At +the same time he repeated aloud a text from the Bible with all his +heart, and this so inspired him with courage that he almost smiled +at the illusion he had allowed to possess him. The white nodding man +was suddenly transformed into a brook long familiar to him, which +ran foaming from the forest and discharged itself into the lake. The +noise, however, which he had heard, was caused by a knight +beautifully apparelled, who, emerging from the deep shadows of the +wood, came riding toward the cottage. A scarlet mantle was thrown +over his purple gold-embroidered doublet; a red and violet plume +waved from his golden-colored head-gear; and a beautifully and +richly ornamented sword flashed from his shoulder-belt. The white +steed that bore the knight was more slenderly formed than war-horses +generally are, and he stepped so lightly over the turf that this +green and flowery carpet seemed scarcely to receive the slightest +injury from his tread. + +The old fisherman did not, however, feel perfectly secure in his +mind, although he tried to convince himself that no evil was to be +feared from so graceful an apparition; and therefore he politely +took off his hat as the knight approached, and remained quietly with +his nets. + +Presently the stranger drew up, and inquired whether he and his +horse could have shelter and care for the night. "As regards your +horse, good sir," replied the fisherman. "I can assign him no better +stable than this shady pasture, and no better provender than the +grass growing on it. Yourself, however, I will gladly welcome to my +small cottage, and give you supper and lodging as good as we have." +The knight was well satisfied with this; he alighted from his horse, +and, with the assistance of the fisherman, he relieved it from +saddle and bridle, and turned it loose upon the flowery green. Then +addressing his host, he said: "Even had I found you less hospitable +and kindly disposed, my worthy old fisherman, you would nevertheless +scarcely have got rid of me to-day, for, as I see, a broad lake lies +before us, and to ride back into that mysterious wood, with the +shades of evening coming on, heaven keep me from it!" + +"We will not talk too much of that," said the fisherman, and he led +his guest into the cottage. + +There, beside the hearth, from which a scanty fire shed a dim light +through the cleanly-kept room, sat the fisherman's aged wife in a +capacious chair. At the entrance of the noble guest she rose to give +him a kindly welcome, but resumed her seat of honor without offering +it to the stranger. Upon this the fisherman said with a smile: "You +must not take it amiss of her, young sir, that she has not given up +to you the most comfortable seat in the house; it is a custom among +poor people, that it should belong exclusively to the aged." + +"Why, husband," said the wife, with a quiet smile, "what can you be +thinking of? Our guest belongs no doubt to Christian men, and how +could it come into the head of the good young blood to drive old +people from their chairs? Take a seat, my young master," she +continued, turning toward the knight; "over there, there is a right +pretty little chair, only you must not move about on it too roughly, +for one of its legs is no longer of the firmest." The knight fetched +the chair carefully, sat down upon it good-humoredly, and it seemed +to him as if he were related to this little household, and had just +returned from abroad. + +The three worthy people now began to talk together in the most +friendly and familiar manner. With regard to the forest, about which +the knight made some inquiries, the old man was not inclined to be +communicative; he felt it was not a subject suited to approaching +night, but the aged couple spoke freely of their home and former +life, and listened also gladly when the knight recounted to them his +travels, and told them that he had a castle near the source of the +Danube, and that his name was Sir Huldbrand of Ringstetten. During +the conversation, the stranger had already occasionally heard a +splash against the little low window, as if some one were sprinkling +water against it. Every time the noise occurred, the old man knit +his brow with displeasure; but when at last a whole shower was +dashed against the panes, and bubbled into the room through the +decayed casement, he rose angrily, and called threateningly from the +window: "Undine! will you for once leave off these childish tricks? +and to-day, besides, there is a stranger knight with us in the +cottage." All was silent without, only a suppressed laugh was +audible, and the fisherman said as he returned: "You must pardon it +in her, my honored guest, and perhaps many a naughty trick besides; +but she means no harm by it. It is our foster-child, Undine, and she +will not wean herself from this childishness, although she has +already entered her eighteenth year. But, as I said, at heart she is +thoroughly good." + +"You may well talk," replied the old woman, shaking her head; "when +you come home from fishing or from a journey, her frolics may then +be very delightful, but to have her about one the whole day long, +and never to hear a sensible word, and instead of finding her a help +in the housekeeping as she grows older, always to be obliged to be +taking care that her follies do not completely ruin us, that is +quite another thing, and the patience of a saint would be worn out +at last." + +"Well, well," said her husband with a smile, "you have your troubles +with Undine, and I have mine with the lake. It often breaks away my +dams, and tears my nets to pieces, but for all that, I have an +affection for it, and so have you for the pretty child, in spite of +all your crosses and vexations. Isn't it so?" + +"One can't be very angry with her, certainly," said the old woman, +and she smiled approvingly. + +Just then the door flew open, and a beautiful, fair girl glided +laughing into the room, and said "You have only been jesting, +father, for where is your guest?" + +At the same moment, however, she perceived the knight, and stood +fixed with astonishment before the handsome youth, Huldbrand was +struck with her charming appearance, and dwelt the more earnestly on +her lovely features, as he imagined it was only her surprise that +gave him this brief enjoyment, and that she would presently turn +from his gaze with increased bashfulness. It was, however, quite +otherwise; for after having looked at him for some time, she drew +near him confidingly, knelt down before him, and said, as she played +with a gold medal which he wore on his breast, suspended from a rich +chain: "Why, you handsome, kind guest, how have you come to our poor +cottage at last? Have you been obliged then to wander through the +world for years, before you could find your way to us? Do you come +out of that wild forest, my beautiful knight?" The old woman's +reproof allowed him no time for reply. She admonished the girl to +stand up and behave herself and to go to her work. Undine, however, +without making any answer drew a little footstool close to +Huldbrand's chair, sat down upon it with her spinning, and said +pleasantly: "I will work here." The old man did as parents are wont +to do with spoiled children. He affected to observe nothing of +Undine's naughtiness and was beginning to talk of something else. +But this the girl would not let him do; she said: "I have asked our +charming guest whence he comes, and he has not yet answered me." + +"I come from the forest, you beautiful little vision," returned +Huldbrand; and she went on to say:-- + +"Then you must tell me how you came there, for it is usually so +feared, and what marvellous adventures you met with in it, for it is +impossible to escape without something of the sort." + +Huldbrand felt a slight shudder at this remembrance, and looked +involuntarily toward the window, for it seemed to him as if one of +the strange figures he had encountered in the forest were grinning +in there; but he saw nothing but the deep dark night, which had now +shrouded everything without. Upon this he composed himself and was +on the point of beginning his little history, when the old man +interrupted him by saying: "Not so, sir knight! this is no fit hour +for such things." Undine, however, sprang angrily from her little +stool, and standing straight before the fisherman with her fair arms +fixed in her sides, she exclaimed: "He shall not tell his story, +father? He shall not? but it is my will. He shall! He shall in spite +of you!" and thus saying she stamped her pretty little foot +vehemently on the floor, but she did it all with such a comically +graceful air that Huldbrand now felt his gaze almost more riveted +upon her in her anger than before in her gentleness. + +The restrained wrath of the old man, on the contrary, burst forth +violently. He severely reproved Undine's disobedience and unbecoming +behavior to the stranger, and his good old wife joined with him +heartily. Undine quickly retorted: "If you want to chide me, and +won't do what I wish, then sleep alone in your old smoky hut!" and +swift as an arrow she flew from the room, and fled into the dark +night. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +IN WHAT WAY UNDINE HAD COME TO THE FISHERMAN + + +Huldbrand and the fisherman sprang from their seats and were on the +point of following the angry girl. Before they reached the cottage +door, however, Undine had long vanished in the shadowy darkness +without, and not even the sound of her light footstep betrayed the +direction of her flight. Huldbrand looked inquiringly at his host; +it almost seemed to him as if the whole sweet apparition, which had +suddenly merged again into the night, were nothing else than one of +that band of the wonderful forms which had, but a short time since, +carried on their pranks with him in the forest. But the old man +murmured between his teeth: "This is not the first time that she has +treated us in this way. Now we have aching hearts and sleepless eyes +the whole night through; for who knows, that she may not some day +come to harm, if she is thus out alone in the dark until daylight." + +"Then let us for God's sake follow her," cried Huldbrand, anxiously. + +"What would be the good of it?" replied the old man. "It would be a +sin were I to allow you, all alone, to follow the foolish girl in +the solitary night, and my old limbs would not overtake the wild +runaway, even if we knew in what direction she had gone." + +"We had better at any rate call after her, and beg her to come +back," said Huldbrand; and he began to call in the most earnest +manner: "Undine! Undine! Pray come back!" The old man shook his +head, saying, that all that shouting would help but little, for the +knight had no idea how self-willed the little truant was. But still +he could not forbear often calling out with him in the dark night: +"Undine! Ah! dear Undine, I beg you to come back--only this once!" + +It turned out, however, as the fisherman had said. No Undine was to +be heard or seen, and as the old man would on no account consent +that Huldbrand should go in search of the fugitive, they were at +last both obliged to return to the cottage. Here they found the fire +on the hearth almost gone out, and the old wife, who took Undine's +flight and danger far less to heart than her husband, had already +retired to rest. The old man blew up the fire, laid some dry wood on +it, and by the light of the flame sought out a tankard of wine, +which he placed between himself and his guest. "You, sir knight," +said he, "are also anxious about that silly girl, and we would both +rather chatter and drink away a part of the night than keep turning +round on our rush mats trying in vain to sleep. Is it not so?" +Huldbrand was well satisfied with the plan; the fisherman obliged +him to take the seat of honor vacated by the good old housewife, and +both drank and talked together in a manner becoming two honest and +trusting men. It is true, as often as the slightest thing moved +before the windows, or even at times when nothing was moving, one of +the two would look up and say: "She is coming!" Then they would be +silent for a moment or two, and as nothing appeared, they would +shake their heads and sigh and go on with their talk. + +As, however, neither could think of anything but of Undine, they +knew of nothing better to do than that the old fisherman should tell +the story, and the knight should hear, in what manner Undine had +first come to the cottage. He therefore began as follows:-- + +"It is now about fifteen years ago that I was one day crossing the +wild forest with my goods, on my way to the city. My wife had stayed +at home, as her wont is, and at this particular time for a very good +reason, for God had given us, in our tolerably advanced age, a +wonderfully beautiful child. It was a little girl; and a question +already arose between us, whether for the sake of the new-comer, we +would not leave our lovely home that we might better bring up this +dear gift of heaven in some more habitable place. Poor people indeed +cannot do in such cases as you may think they ought, sir knight, +but, with God's blessing, every one must do what he can. Well, the +matter was tolerably in my head as I went along. This slip of land +was so dear to me, and I shuddered when, amid the noise and brawls +of the city, I thought to myself, 'In such scenes as these, or in +one not much more quiet, thou wilt also soon make thy abode!' But at +the same time I did not murmur against the good God; on the +contrary, I thanked him in secret for the new-born babe; I should be +telling a lie, too, were I to say, that on my journey through the +wood, going or returning, anything befell me out of the common way, +and at that time I had never seen any of its fearful wonders. The +Lord was ever with me in those mysterious shades." + +As he spoke he took his little cap from his bald head, and remained +for a time occupied with prayerful thoughts; he then covered himself +again, and continued:-- + +"On this side the forest, alas! a sorrow awaited me. My wife came to +meet me with tearful eyes and clad in mourning. 'Oh! Good God!' I +groaned, 'where is our dear child? speak!'--'With him on whom you +have called, dear husband,' she replied; and we now entered the +cottage together weeping silently. I looked around for the little +corpse, and it was then only that I learned how it had all +happened." + +"My wife had been sitting with the child on the edge of the lake, +and as she was playing with it, free of all fear and full of +happiness, the little one suddenly bent forward, as if attracted by +something very beautiful in the water. My wife saw her laugh, the +dear angel, and stretch out her little hands; but in a moment she +had sprung out of her mother's arms, and had sunk beneath the watery +mirror. I sought long for our little lost one; but it was all in +vain; there was no trace of her to be found." + +"The same evening we, childless parents, were sitting silently +together in the cottage; neither of us had any desire to talk, even +had our tears allowed us. We sat gazing into the fire on the hearth. +Presently, we heard something rustling outside the door: it flew +open, and a beautiful little girl three or four years old, richly +dressed, stood on the threshold smiling at us. We were quite dumb +with astonishment, and I knew not at first whether it were a vision +or a reality. But I saw the water dripping from her golden hair and +rich garments, and I perceived that the pretty child had been lying +in the water, and needed help. 'Wife,' said I, 'no one has been able +to save our dear child; yet let us at any rate do for others what +would have made us so blessed.' We undressed the little one, put her +to bed, and gave her something warm; at all this she spoke not a +word, and only fixed her eyes, that reflected the blue of the lake +and of the sky, smilingly upon us. Next morning we quickly perceived +that she had taken no harm from her wetting, and I now inquired +about her parents, and how she had come here. But she gave a +confused and strange account. She must have been born far from here, +not only because for these fifteen years I have not been able to +find out anything of her parentage, but because she then spoke, and +at times still speaks, of such singular things that such as we are +cannot tell but that she may have dropped upon us from the moon. She +talks of golden castles, of crystal domes, and heaven knows what +besides. The story that she told with most distinctness was, that +she was out in a boat with her mother on the great lake, and fell +into the water, and that she only recovered her senses here under +the trees where she felt herself quite happy on the merry shore. We +had still a great misgiving and perplexity weighing on our heart. We +had, indeed, soon decided to keep the child we had found and to +bring her up in the place of our lost darling; but who could tell us +whether she had been baptized or not? She herself could give us no +information on the matter. She generally answered our questions by +saying that she well knew she was created for Gods praise and glory, +and that she was ready to let us do with her whatever would tend to +His honor and glory." + +"My wife and I thought that if she were not baptized, there was no +time for delay, and that if she were, a good thing could not be +repeated too often. And in pursuance of this idea, we reflected upon +a good name for the child, for we now were often at a loss to know +what to call her. We agreed at last that Dorothea would be the most +suitable for her, for I once heard that it meant a gift of God, and +she had surely been sent to us by God as a gift and comfort in our +misery. She, on the other hand, would not hear of this, and told us +that she thought she had been called Undine by her parents, and that +Undine she wished still to be called. Now this appeared to me a +heathenish name, not to be found in any calendar, and I took counsel +therefore of a priest in the city. He also would not hear of the +name of Undine, but at my earnest request he came with me through +the mysterious forest in order to perform the rite of baptism here +in my cottage. The little one stood before us so prettily arrayed +and looked so charming that the priest's heart was at once moved +within him, and she flattered him so prettily, and braved him so +merrily, that at last he could no longer remember the objections he +had had ready against the name of Undine. She was therefore baptized +'Undine,' and during the sacred ceremony she behaved with great +propriety and sweetness, wild and restless as she invariably was at +other times. For my wife was quite right when she said that it has +been hard to put up with her. If I were to tell you"-- + +The knight interrupted the fisherman to draw his attention to a +noise, as of a rushing flood of waters, which had caught his ear +during the old man's talk, and which now burst against the cottage- +window with redoubled fury. Both sprang to the door. There they saw, +by the light of the now risen moon, the brook which issued from the +wood, widely overflowing its banks, and whirling away stones and +branches of trees in its sweeping course. The storm, as if awakened +by the tumult, burst forth from the mighty clouds which passed +rapidly across the moon; the lake roared under the furious lashing +of the wind; the trees of the little peninsula groaned from root to +topmost bough, and bent, as if reeling, over the surging waters. +"Undine! for Heaven's sake, Undine." cried the two men in alarm. No +answer was returned, and regardless of every other consideration, +they ran out of the cottage, one in this direction, and the other in +that, searching and calling. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +HOW THEY FOUND UNDINE AGAIN. + + +The longer Huldbrand sought Undine beneath the shades of night, and +failed to find her, the more anxious and confused did he become. + +The idea that Undine had been only a mere apparition of the forest, +again gained ascendancy over him; indeed, amid the howling of the +waves and the tempest, the cracking of the trees, and the complete +transformation of a scene lately so calmly beautiful, he could +almost have considered the whole peninsula with its cottage and its +inhabitants as a mocking illusive vision; but from afar he still +ever heard through the tumult the fisherman's anxious call for +Undine, and the loud praying and singing of his aged wife. At length +he came close to the brink of the swollen stream, and saw in the +moonlight how it had taken its wild course directly in front of the +haunted forest, so as to change the peninsula into an island. "Oh +God!" he thought to himself, "if Undine has ventured a step into +that fearful forest, perhaps in her charming wilfulness, just +because I was not allowed to tell her about it; and now the stream +may be rolling between us, and she may be weeping on the other side +alone, among phantoms and spectres!" + +A cry of horror escaped him, and he clambered down some rocks and +overthrown pine-stems, in order to reach the rushing stream and by +wading or swimming to seek the fugitive on the other side. He +remembered all the awful and wonderful things which he had +encountered, even by day, under the now rustling and roaring +branches of the forest. Above all it seemed to him as if a tall man +in white, whom he knew but too well, was grinning and nodding on the +opposite shore; but it was just these monstrous forms which forcibly +impelled him to cross the flood, as the thought seized him that +Undine might be among them in the agonies of death and alone. + +He had already grasped the strong branch of a pine, and was standing +supported by it, in the whirling current, against which he could +with difficulty maintain himself; though with a courageous spirit he +advanced deeper into it. Just then a gentle voice exclaimed near +him: "Venture not, venture not, the old man, the stream, is full of +tricks!" He knew the sweet tones; he stood as if entranced beneath +the shadows that duskily shrouded the moon, and his head swam with +the swelling of the waves, which he now saw rapidly rising to his +waist. Still he would not desist. + +"If thou art not really there, if thou art only floating about me +like a mist, then may I too cease to live and become a shadow like +thee, dear, dear Undine!" Thus exclaiming aloud, he again stepped +deeper into the stream. "Look round thee, oh! look round thee, +beautiful but infatuated youth!" cried a voice again close beside +him, and looking aside, he saw by the momentarily unveiled moon, a +little island formed by the flood, on which he perceived under the +interweaved branches of the overhanging trees, Undine smiling and +happy, nestling in the flowery grass. + +Oh! how much more gladly than before did the young man now use the +aid of his pine-branch! + +With a few steps he had crossed the flood which was rushing between +him and the maiden, and he was standing beside her on a little spot +of turf, safely guarded and screened by the good old trees. Undine +had half-raised herself, and now under the green leafy tent she +threw her arms round his neck, and drew him down beside her on her +soft seat. + +"You shall tell me your story here, beautiful friend," said she, in +a low whisper; "the cross old people cannot hear us here: and our +roof of leaves is just as good a shelter as their poor cottage." + +"It is heaven itself!" said Huldbrand, embracing the beautiful girl +and kissing her fervently. + +The old fisherman meanwhile had come to the edge of the stream, and +shouted across to the two young people; "Why, sir knight, I have +received you as one honest-hearted man is wont to receive another, +and now here you are caressing my foster-child in secret, and +letting me run hither and thither through the night in anxious +search of her." + +"I have only just found her myself, old father," returned the +knight. + +"So much the better," said the fisherman; "but now bring her across +to me without delay upon firm ground." + +Undine, however, would not hear of this; she declared she would +rather go with the beautiful stranger, into the wild forest itself, +than return to the cottage, where no one did as she wished, and from +which the beautiful knight would himself depart sooner or later. +Then, throwing her arms round Huldbrand, she sang with indescribable +grace:-- + +"A stream ran out of the misty vale + Its fortunes to obtain, + the ocean's depths it found a home + And ne'er returned again." + +The old fisherman wept bitterly at her song, but this did not seem +to affect her particularly. She kissed and caressed her new friend, +who at last said to her: "Undine, if the old man's distress does not +touch your heart, it touches mine--let us go back to him." + +She opened her large blue eyes in amazement at him, and spoke at +last, slowly and hesitatingly: "If you think so--well, whatever you +think is right to me. But the old man yonder must first promise me +that he will let you, without objection, relate to me what you saw +in the wood, and--well, other things will settle themselves." + +"Come, only come," cried the fisherman to her, unable to utter +another word: and at the same time he stretched out his arms far +over the rushing stream toward her, and nodded his head as if to +promise the fulfilment of her request, and as he did this, his white +hair fell strangely over his face, and reminded Huldbrand of the +nodding white man in the forest. Without allowing himself, however, +to grow confused by such an idea the young knight took the beautiful +girl in his arms, and bore her over the narrow passage which the +stream had forced between her little island and the shore. + +The old man fell upon Undine's neck and could not satisfy the +exuberance of his joy; his good wife also came up and caressed the +newly-found in the heartiest manner. Not a word of reproach passed +their lips; nor was it thought of, for Undine, forgetting all her +waywardness, almost overwhelmed her foster-parents with affection +and fond expressions. + +When at last they had recovered from the excess of their joy, day +had already dawned, and had shed its purple hue over the lake; +stillness had followed the storm, and the little birds were singing +merrily on the wet branches. As Undine now insisted upon hearing the +knight's promised story, the aged couple smilingly and readily +acceded to her desire. Breakfast was brought out under the trees +which screened the cottage from the lake, and they sat down to it +with contented hearts--Undine on the grass at the knight's feet, the +place chosen by herself. + +Huldbrand then proceeded with his story. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +OF THAT WHICH THE KNIGHT ENCOUNTERED IN THE WOOD. + + +"It is now about eight days ago since I rode into the free imperial +city, which lies on the other side of the forest. Soon after my +arrival, there was a splendid tournament and running at the ring, +and I spared neither my horse nor my lance. Once when I was pausing +at the lists, to rest after my merry toil, and was handing back my +helmet to one of my squires, my attention was attracted by a female +figure of great beauty, who was standing richly attired on one of +the galleries allotted to spectators." + +"I asked my neighbor, and learned from him, that the name of the +fair lady was Bertalda, and that she was the foster-daughter of one +of the powerful dukes living in the country. I remarked that she +also was looking at me, and, as it is wont to be with us young +knights, I had already ridden bravely, and now pursued my course +with renovated confidence and courage. In the dance that evening I +was Bertalda's partner, and I remained so throughout the festival." + +A sharp pain in his left hand, which hung down by his side, here +interrupted Huldbrand's narrative, and drew his attention to the +aching part. Undine had fastened her pearly teeth upon one of his +fingers, appearing at the same time very gloomy and angry. Suddenly, +however, she looked up in his eyes with an expression of tender +melancholy, and whispered in a soft voice: "It is your own fault." +Then she hid her face, and the knight, strangely confused and +thoughtful, continued his narrative. + +"This Bertalda was a haughty, wayward girl. Even on the second day +she pleased me no longer as she had done on the first, and on the +third day still less. Still I continued about her, because she was +more pleasant to me than to any other knight, and thus it was that I +begged her in jest to give me one of her gloves. 'I will give it you +when you have quite alone explored the ill-famed forest,' said she, +'and can bring me tidings of its wonders.' It was not that her glove +was of such importance to me, but the word had been said, and an +honorable knight would not allow himself to be urged a second time +to such a proof of valor." + +"I think she loved you," said Undine, interrupting him. + +"It seemed so," replied Huldbrand. + +"Well," exclaimed the girl, laughing, "she must be stupid indeed. To +drive away any one dear to her. And moreover, into an ill-omened +wood. The forest and its mysteries might have waited long enough for +me!" + +"Yesterday morning." continued the knight, smiling kindly at Undine, +"I set out on my enterprise. The stems of the trees caught the red +tints of the morning light which lay brightly on the green turf, the +leaves seemed whispering merrily with each other, and in my heart I +could have laughed at the people who could have expected anything to +terrify them in this pleasant spot. 'I shall soon have trotted +through the forest there and back again,' I said to myself, with a +feeling of easy gayety, and before I had even thought of it I was +deep within the green shades, and could no longer perceive the plain +which lay behind me. Then for the first time it struck me that I +might easily lose my way in the mighty forest, and that this perhaps +was the only danger which the wanderer had to fear. I therefore +paused and looked round in the direction of the sun, which in the +mean while had risen somewhat higher above the horizon. While I was +thus looking up I saw something black in the branches of a lofty +oak. I thought it was a bear and I grasped my sword; but with a +human voice, that sounded harsh and ugly, it called to me from +above: 'If I do not nibble away the branches up here, Sir Malapert, +what shall we have to roast you with at midnight?' And so saying it +grinned and made the branches rustle, so that my horse grew furious +and rushed forward with me before I had time to see what sort of a +devil it really was." + +"You must not call it so," said the old fisherman as he crossed +himself; his wife did the same silently. Undine looked at the knight +with sparkling eyes and said: "The best of the story is that they +certainly have not roasted him yet; go on now, you beautiful youth!" + +The knight continued his narration: "My horse was so wild that he +almost rushed with me against the stems and branches of trees; he +was dripping with sweat, and yet would not suffer himself to be held +in. At last he went straight in the direction of a rocky precipice; +then it suddenly seemed to me as if a tall white man threw himself +across the path of my wild steed; the horse trembled with fear and +stopped: I recovered my hold of him, and for the first time +perceived that my deliverer was no white man, but a brook of silvery +brightness, rushing down from a hill by my side and crossing and +impeding my horse's course." + +"Thanks, dear Brook," exclaimed Undine, clapping her little hands. +The old man, however, shook his head and looked down in deep +thought. + +"I had scarcely settled myself in the saddle," continued Huldbrand. +"and seized the reins firmly, when a wonderful little man stood at +my side, diminutive, and ugly beyond conception. His complexion was +of a yellowish brown, and his nose not much smaller than the rest of +his entire person. At the same time he kept grinning with stupid +courtesy, exhibiting his huge mouth, and making a thousand scrapes +and bows to me. As this farce was now becoming inconvenient to me, I +thanked him briefly and turned about my still trembling steed, +thinking either to seek another adventure, or in case I met with +none, to find my way back, for during my wild chase the sun had +already passed the meridian; but the little fellow sprang round with +the speed of lightning and stood again before my horse. 'Room!' I +cried, angrily; 'the animal is wild and may easily run over you.'-- +'Ay, ay!' snarled the imp, with a grin still more horribly stupid. +'Give me first some drink-money, for I have stopped your horse; +without me you and your horse would be now both lying in the stony +ravine; ugh!'--'Don't make any more faces,' said I, 'and take your +money, even if you are telling lies; for see, it was the good brook +there that saved me, and not you, you miserable wight! And at the +same time I dropped a piece of gold into his grotesque cap, which he +had taken off in his begging. I then trotted on; but he screamed +after me, and suddenly with inconceivable quickness was at my side. +I urged my horse into a gallop; the imp ran too, making at the same +time strange contortions with his body, half-ridiculous, half- +horrible, and holding up the gold-piece, he cried, at every leap, +'False money!, false coin!, false coin!, false money!'--and this he +uttered with such a hollow sound that one would have supposed that +after every scream he would have fallen dead to the ground." + +"His horrid red tongue moreover hung far out of his mouth. I +stopped, perplexed, and asked: 'What do you mean by this screaming? +take another piece of gold, take two, but leave me.' He then began +again his hideous burlesque of politeness, and snarled out: 'Not +gold, not gold, my young gentleman. I have too much of that trash +myself, as I will show you at once?'" + +"Suddenly it seemed to me as if I could see through the solid soil +as though it were green glass and the smooth earth were as round as +a ball; and within, a multitude of goblins were ranking sport with +silver and gold; head over heels they were rolling about, pelting +each other in jest with the precious metals, and provokingly blowing +the gold-dust in each other's eyes. My hideous companion stood +partly within and partly without; he ordered the others to reach him +up heaps of gold, and showing it to me with a laugh, he then flung +it back again with a ringing noise into the immeasurable abyss." + +"He then showed the piece of gold I had given him to the goblins +below, and they laughed themselves half-dead over it and hissed at +me. At last they all pointed at me with their metal-stained fingers, +and more and more wildly, and more and more densely, and more and +more madly, the swarm of spirits came clambering up to me. I was +seized with terror as my horse had been before: I put spurs to him, +and I know not how far I galloped for the second time wildly into +the forest." + +"At length, when I again halted, the coolness of evening was around +me. Through the branches of the trees I saw a white foot-path +gleaming, which I fancied must lead from the forest toward the city. +I was anxious to work my way in that direction; but a face perfectly +white and indistinct, with features ever changing, kept peering at +me between the leaves; I tried to avoid it, but wherever I went it +appeared also. Enraged at this, I determined at last to ride at it, +when it gushed forth volumes of foam upon me and my horse, obliging +us half-blinded to make a rapid retreat. Thus it drove us step by +step ever away from the foot-path, leaving the way open to us only +in one direction. When we advanced in this direction, it kept indeed +close behind us, but did not do us the slightest harm." + +"Looking around at it occasionally, I perceived that the white face +that had besprinkled us with foam belonged to a form equally white +and of gigantic stature. Many a time I thought that it was a moving +stream, but I could never convince myself on the subject. Wearied +out, the horse and his rider yielded to the impelling power of the +white man, who kept nodding his head, as if he would say, 'Quite +right, quite right!' And thus at last we came out here to the end of +the forest, where I saw the turf, and the lake, and your little +cottage, and where the tall white man disappeared." + +"It's well that he's gone," said the old fisherman; and now he began +to talk of the best way by which his guest could return to his +friends in the city. Upon this Undine began to laugh slyly to +herself; Huldbrand observed it, and said: "I thought you were glad +to see me here; why then do you now rejoice when my departure is +talked of?" + +"Because you cannot go away," replied Undine. "Just try it once, to +cross that overflowed forest stream with a boat, with your horse, or +alone, as you may fancy. Or rather don't try it, for you would be +dashed to pieces by the stones and trunks of trees which are carried +down by it with the speed of lightning. And as to the lake, I know +it well; father dare not venture out far enough with his boat." + +Huldbrand rose, smiling, in order to see whether things were as +Undine had said; the old man accompanied him, and the girl danced +merrily along by their side. They found every thing, indeed, as +Undine had described, and the knight was obliged to submit to remain +on the little tongue of land, that had become an island, till the +flood should subside. As the three were returning to the cottage +after their ramble, the knight whispered in the ear of the little +maiden "Well, how is it, my pretty Undine--are you angry at my +remaining?" + +"Ah!" she replied, peevishly, "let me alone. If I had not bitten +you, who knows how much of Bertalda would have appeared in your +story?" + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +HOW THE KNIGHT LIVED ON THE LITTLE PROMONTORY. + + +After having been much driven to and fro in the world, you have +perhaps, my dear reader, reached at length some spot where all was +well with thee; where the love for home and its calm peace, innate +to all, has again sprung up within thee; where thou hast thought +that this home was rich with all the flowers of childhood and of the +purest, deepest love that rests upon the graves of those that are +gone, and thou hast felt it must be good to dwell here and to build +habitations. Even if thou hast erred in this, and hast had afterward +bitterly to atone for the error, that is nothing to the purpose now, +and thou wouldst not, indeed, voluntarily sadden thyself with the +unpleasant recollection. But recall that inexpressibly sweet +foreboding, that angelic sense of peace, and thou wilt know somewhat +of the knight Huldbrand's feelings during his abode on the little +promontory. + +He often perceived with hearty satisfaction that the forest stream +rolled along every day more wildly, making its bed ever broader and +broader, and prolonging his sojourn on the island to an indefinite +period. Part of the day he rambled about with an old cross-bow, +which he had found in a corner of the cottage and had repaired; and, +watching for the water-fowl, he killed all that he could for the +cottage kitchen. When he brought his booty home, Undine rarely +neglected to upbraid him with having so cruelly deprived the happy +birds of life; indeed she often wept bitterly at the sight he placed +before her. But if he came home another time without having shot +anything she scolded him no less seriously, since now, from his +carelessness and want of skill, they had to be satisfied with living +on fish. He always delighted heartily in her graceful little +scoldings, all the more as she generally strove to compensate for +her ill-humor by the sweetest caresses. + +The old people took pleasure in the intimacy of the young pair; they +regarded them as betrothed, or even as already united in marriage, +and living on this isolated spot, as a succor and support to them in +their old age. It was this same sense of seclusion that suggested +the idea also to Huldbrand's mind that he was already Undine's +accepted one. He felt as if there were no world beyond these +surrounding waters, or as if he could never recross them to mingle +with other men; and when at times his grazing horse would neigh as +if inquiringly to remind him of knightly deeds, or when the coat of +arms on his embroidered saddle and horse-gear shone sternly upon +him, or when his beautiful sword would suddenly fall from the nail +on which it was hanging in the cottage, gliding from the scabbard as +it fell, he would quiet the doubts of his mind by saving: "Undine is +no fisherman's daughter; she belongs in all probability to some +illustrious family abroad." There was only one thing to which he had +a strong aversion, and this was, when the old dame reproved Undine +in his presence. The wayward girl, it is true, laughed at it for the +most part, without attempting to conceal her mirth; but it seemed to +him as if his honor were concerned, and yet he could not blame the +old fisherman's wife, for Undine always deserved at least ten times +as many reproofs as she received; so, in his heart he felt the +balance in favor of the old woman, and his whole life flowed onward +in calm enjoyment. + +There came, however, an interruption at last. The fisherman and the +knight had been accustomed at their mid-day meal, and also in the +evening when the wind roared without, as it was always wont to do +toward night, to enjoy together a flask of wine. But now the store +which the fisherman had from time to time brought with him from the +town, was exhausted, and the two men were quite out of humor in +consequence. + +Undine laughed at them excessively all day, but they were neither of +them merry enough to join in her jests as usual. Toward evening she +went out of the cottage to avoid, as she said, two such long and +tiresome faces. As twilight advanced, there were again tokens of a +storm, and the water rushed and roared. Full of alarm, the knight +and the fisherman sprang to the door, to bring home the girl, +remembering the anxiety of that night when Huldbrand had first come +to the cottage. Undine, however, met them, clapping her little hands +with delight. "What will you give me," she said, "to provide you +with wine?" or rather, "you need not give me anything," she +continued," for I am satisfied if you will look merrier and be in +better spirits than you have been throughout this whole wearisome +day. Only come with me; the forest stream has driven ashore a cask, +and I will be condemned to sleep through a whole week if it is not a +wine-cask." The men followed her, and in a sheltered creek on the +shore, they actually found a cask, which inspired them with the hope +that it contained the generous drink for which they were thirsting. + +They at once rolled it as quickly as possible toward the cottage, +for the western sky was overcast with heavy storm-clouds, and they +could observe in the twilight the waves of the lake raising their +white, foaming heads, as if looking out for the rain which was +presently to pour down upon them. Undine helped the men as much as +she was able, and when the storm of rain suddenly burst over them, +she said, with a merry threat to the heavy clouds: "Come, come, take +care that you don't wet us; we are still some way from shelter." The +old man reproved her for this, as simple presumption, but she +laughed softly to herself, and no mischief befell any one in +consequence of her levity. Nay, more: contrary to all expectation, +they reached the comfortable hearth with their booty perfectly dry, +and it was not till they had opened the cask, and had proved that it +contained some wonderfully excellent wine, that the rain burst forth +from the dark cloud, and the storm raged among the tops of the +trees, and over the agitated billows of the lake. + +Several bottles were soon filled from the great cask, which promised +a supply for many days, and they were sitting drinking and jesting +round the glowing fire, feeling comfortably secured from the raging +storm without. Suddenly the old fisherman became very grave and +said: "Ah, great God! here we are rejoicing over this rich treasure, +and he to whom it once belonged, and of whom the floods have robbed +it, has probably lost this precious life in their waters." + +"That he has not," declared Undine, as she smilingly filled the +knight's cup to the brim. + +But Huldbrand replied: "By my honor, old father, if I knew where to +find and to rescue him, no knightly errand and no danger would I +shirk. So much, however, I can promise you, that if ever again I +reach more inhabited lands, I will find out the owner of this wine +or his heirs, and requite it twofold, nay, threefold." + +This delighted the old man; he nodded approvingly to the knight, and +drained his cup with a better conscience and greater pleasure. + +Undine, however, said to Huldbrand: "Do as you will with your gold +and your reimbursement; but you spoke foolishly about the venturing +out in search; I should cry my eyes out, if you were lost in the +attempt, and isn't it true, that you would yourself rather stay with +me and the good wine." + +"Yes, indeed," answered Huldbrand, smiling. + +"Then," said Undine, "you spoke unwisely. For charity begins at +home, and what do other people concern us?" + +The old woman turned away sighing and shaking her head; the +fisherman forgot his wonted affection for the pretty girl and +scolded her. + +"It sounds exactly," said he, as he finished his reproof, "as if +Turks and heathens had brought you up; may God forgive both me and +you, you spoiled child." + +"Well," replied Undine, "for all that, it is what I feel, let who +will hate brought me up, and all your words can't help that." + +"Silence!" exclaimed the fisherman, and Undine, who, in spite of her +pertness, was exceedingly fearful, shrank from him, and moving +tremblingly toward Huldbrand, asked him in a soft tone: "Are you +also angry, dear friend?" + +The knight pressed her tender hand and stroked her hair. He could +say nothing, for vexation at the old man's severity toward Undine +closed his lips: and thus the two couples sat opposite to each +other, with angry feelings and embarrassed silence. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +OF A NUPTIAL CEREMONY. + + +A low knocking at the door was heard in the midst of this stillness, +startling all the inmates of the cottage; for there are times when a +little circumstance, happening quite unexpectedly, can unduly alarm +us. But there was here the additional cause of alarm that the +enchanted forest lay so near, and that the little promontory seemed +just now inaccessible to human beings. They looked at each other +doubtingly, as the knocking was repeated accompanied by a deep +groan, and the knight sprang to reach his sword. But the old man +whispered softly: "If it be what I fear, no weapon will help us." + +Undine meanwhile approached the door and called out angrily and +boldly: "Spirits of the earth, if you wish to carry on your +mischief, Kuhleborn shall teach you something better." + +The terror of the rest was increased by these mysterious words; they +looked fearfully at the girl, and Huldbrand was just regaining +courage enough to ask what she meant, when a voice said without: "I +am no spirit of the earth, but a spirit indeed still within its +earthly body. You within the cottage, if you fear God and will help +me, open to me." At these words, Undine had already opened the door, +and had held a lamp out in the stormy night, by which they perceived +an aged priest standing there, who stepped back in terror at the +unexpected sight of the beautiful maiden. He might well think that +witchcraft and magic were at work when such a lovely form appeared +at such an humble cottage door: he therefore began to pray: "All +good spirits praise the Lord!" + +"I am no spectre," said Undine, smiling; "do I then look so ugly? +Besides you may see the holy words do not frighten me. I too know of +God and understand how to praise Him; every one to be sure in his +own way, for so He has created us. Come in, venerable father; you +come among good people." + +The holy man entered, bowing and looking round him, with a profound, +yet tender demeanor. But the water was dropping from every fold of +his dark garment, and from his long white beard and from his gray +locks. The fisherman and the knight took him to another apartment +and furnished him with other clothes, while they gave the women his +own wet attire to dry. The aged stranger thanked them humbly and +courteously, but he would on no account accept the knight's splendid +mantle, which was offered to him; but he chose instead an old gray +overcoat belonging to the fisherman. They then returned to the +apartment, and the good old dame immediately vacated her easy-chair +for the reverend father, and would not rest till he had taken +possession of it. "For," said she, "you are old and exhausted, and +you are moreover a man of God." Undine pushed under the stranger's +feet her little stool, on which she had been wont to sit by the side +of Huldbrand, and she showed herself in every way most gentle and +kind in her care of the good old man. Huldbrand whispered some +raillery at it in her ear, but she replied very seriously: "He is a +servant of Him who created us all; holy things are not to be jested +with." The knight and the fisherman then refreshed their reverend +guest with food and wine, and when he had somewhat recovered +himself, he began to relate how he had the day before set out from +his cloister, which lay far beyond the great lake, intending to +travel to the bishop, in order to acquaint him with the distress +into which the monastery and its tributary villages had fallen on +account of the extraordinary floods. + +After a long, circuitous route, which these very floods had obliged +him to take, he had been this day compelled, toward evening, to +procure the aid of a couple of good boatmen to cross an arm of the +lake, which had overflowed its banks. + +"Scarcely however," continued he, "had our small craft touched the +waves, than that furious tempest burst forth which is now raging +over our heads. It seemed as if the waters had only waited for us, +to commence their wildest whirling dance with our little boat. The +oars were soon torn out of the hands of my men, and were dashed by +the force of the waves further and further beyond our reach. We +ourselves, yielding to the resistless powers of nature, helplessly +drifted over the surging billows of the lake toward your distant +shore, which we already saw looming through the mist and foam. +Presently our boat turned round and round as in a giddy whirlpool; I +know not whether it was upset, or whether I fell overboard. In a +vague terror of inevitable death I drifted on, till a wave cast me +here, under the trees on your island." + +"Yes, island!" cried the fisherman; "a short time ago it was only a +point of land; but now, since the forest-stream and the lake have +become well-nigh bewitched, things are quite different with us." + +"I remarked something of the sort," said the priest, "as I crept +along the shore in the dark, and hearing nothing but the uproar +around me. I at last perceived that a beaten foot-path disappeared +just in the direction from which the sound proceeded. I now saw the +light in your cottage, and ventured hither, and I cannot +sufficiently thank my heavenly Father that after preserving me from +the waters, He has led me to such good and pious people as you are; +and I feel this all the more, as I do not know whether I shall ever +behold any other beings is this world, except those I now address." + +"What do you mean?" asked the fisherman. + +"Do you know then how long this commotion of the elements is to +last?" replied the holy man. "And I am old in years. Easily enough +may the stream of my life run itself out before the overflowing of +the forest-stream may subside. And indeed it were not impossible +that more and more of the foaming waters may force their way between +you and yonder forest, until you are so far sundered from the rest +of the world that your little fishing-boat will no longer be +sufficient to carry you across, and the inhabitants of the continent +in the midst of their diversions will have entirely forgotten you in +your old age." + +The fisherman's wife started at this, crossed herself and exclaimed. +"God forbid." But her husband looked at her with a smile, and said +"What creatures we are after all! even were it so, things would not +be very different--at least not for you, dear wife--than they now +are. For have you for many years been further than the edge of the +forest? and have you seen any other human beings than Undine and +myself? The knight and this holy man have only come to as lately. +They will remain with us if we do become a forgotten island; so you +would even be a gainer by it after all." + +"I don't know," said the old woman; "it is somehow a gloomy thought, +when one imagines that one is irrecoverably separated from other +people, although, were it otherwise, one might neither know nor see +them." + +"Then you will remain with us! then you will remain with us!" +whispered Undine, in a low, half-singing tone, as she nestled closer +to Huldbrand's side. But he was absorbed in the deep and strange +visions of his own mind. + +The region on the other side of the forest-river seemed to dissolve +into distance during the priest's last words: and the blooming +island upon which he lived grew more green, and smiled more freshly +in his mind's vision. His beloved one glowed as the fairest rose of +this little spot of earth, and even of the whole world, and the +priest was actually there. Added to this, at that moment an angry +glance from the old dame was directed at the beautiful girl, +because even in the presence of the reverend father she leaned so +closely on the knight, and it seemed as if a torrent of reproving +words were on the point of following. Presently, turning to the +priest, Huldbrand broke forth: "Venerable father, you see before you +here a pair pledged to each other: and if this maiden and these good +old people have no objection, you shall unite us this very evening." +The aged couple were extremely surprised. They had, it is true, +hitherto often thought of something of the sort, but they had never +yet expressed it, and when the knight now spoke thus, it came upon +them as something wholly new and unprecedented. + +Undine had become suddenly grave, and looked down thoughtfully while +the priest inquired respecting the circumstances of the case, and +asked if the old people gave their consent. After much discussion +together, the matter was settled; the old dame went to arrange the +bridal chamber for the young people, and to look out two consecrated +tapers which she had had in her possession for some time, and which +she thought essential to the nuptial ceremony. The knight in the +mean while examined his gold chain, from which he wished to +disengage two rings, that he might make an exchange of them with his +bride. + +She, however, observing what he was doing, started up from her +reverie, and exclaimed: "Not so! my parents have not sent me into +the world quite destitute; on the contrary, they must have +anticipated with certainty that such an evening as this would come." +Thus saving, she quickly left the room and reappeared in a moment +with two costly rings, one of which she gave to her bridegroom, and +kept the other for herself. The old fisherman was extremely +astonished at this, and still more so his wife, who just then +entered, for neither had ever seen these jewels in the child's +possession. + +"My parents," said Undine, "sewed these little things into the +beautiful frock which I had on, when I came to you. They forbid me, +moreover, to mention them to anyone before my wedding evening, so I +secretly took them, and kept them concealed until now." + +The priest interrupted all further questionings by lighting the +consecrated tapers, which he placed upon a table, and summoned the +bridal pair to stand opposite to him. He then gave them to each +other with a few short solemn words; the elder couple gave their +blessing to the younger, and the bride, trembling and thoughtful, +leaned upon the knight. Then the priest suddenly said: "You are +strange people after all. Why did you tell me you were the only +people here on the island? and during the whole ceremony, a tall +stately man, in a white mantle, has been looking at me through the +window opposite. He must still be standing before the door, to see +if you will invite him to come into the house." + +"God forbid," said the old dame with a start; the fisherman shook +his head in silence, and Huldbrand sprang to the window. It seemed +even to him as if he could still see a white streak, but it soon +completely disappeared in the darkness. He convinced the priest that +he must have been absolutely mistaken, and they all sat down +together round the hearth. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +WHAT FURTHER HAPPENED ON THE EVENING OF THE WEDDING. + + +Both before and during the ceremony, Undine had shown herself gentle +and quiet; but it now seemed as if all the wayward humors which +rioted within her, burst forth all the more boldly and +unrestrainedly. She teased her bridegroom and her foster-parents, +and even the holy man whom she had so lately reverenced, with all +sorts of childish tricks; and when the old woman was about to +reprove her, she was quickly silenced by a few grave words from the +knight, speaking of Undine now as his wife. Nevertheless, the knight +himself was equally little pleased with Undine's childish behavior: +but no signs, and no reproachful words were of any avail. It is +true, whenever the bride noticed her husband's dissatisfaction--and +this occurred occasionally--she became more quiet, sat down by his +side, caressed him, whispered something smilingly into his ear, and +smoothed the wrinkles that were gathering on his brow. But +immediately afterward, some wild freak would again lead her to +return to her ridiculous proceedings, and matters would be worse +than before. At length the priest said in a serious and kind tone: +"My fair young maiden, no one indeed can look at you without +delight; but remember so to attune your soul betimes, that it may +ever harmonize with that of your wedded husband." + +"Soul!" said Undine, laughing; "that sounds pretty enough, and may +be a very edifying and useful caution for most people. But when one +hasn't a soul at all, I beg you, what is there to attune then? and +that is my case." The priest was silent and deeply wounded, and with +holy displeasure he turned his face from the girl. She, however, +went up to him caressingly, and said: "No! listen to me first, +before you look angry, for your look of anger gives me pain, and you +must not give pain to any creature who has done you no wrong--only +have patience with me, and I will tell you properly what I mean." + +It was evident that she was preparing herself to explain something +in detail, but suddenly she hesitated, as if seized with an inward +shuddering, and burst out into a flood of tears. They none of them +knew what to make of this ebullition, and filled with various +apprehensions they gazed at her in silence. At length, wiping away +her tears, and looking earnestly at the reverend man, she said: +"There must be something beautiful, but at the same time extremely +awful, about a soul. Tell me, holy sir, were it not better that we +never shared such a gift?" She was silent again as if waiting for an +answer, and her tears had ceased to flow. All in the cottage had +risen from their seats and had stepped back from her with horror. +She, however, seemed to have eyes for no one but the holy man; her +features wore an expression of fearful curiosity, which appeared +terrible to those who saw her. "The soul must be a heavy burden," +she continued, as no one answered her, "very heavy! for even its +approaching image overshadows me with anxiety and sadness. And, ah! +I was so light-hearted and so merry till now!" And she burst into a +fresh flood of tears, and covered her face with the drapery she +wore. Then the priest went up to her with a solemn air, and spoke to +her, and conjured her by the name of the Most Holy to cast aside the +veil that enveloped her, if any spirit of evil possessed her. But +she sank on her knees before him, repeating all the sacred words he +uttered, praising God, and protesting that she wished well with the +whole world. + +Then at last the priest said to the knight: "Sir bridegroom, I will +leave you alone with her whom I have united to you in marriage. So +far as I can discover there is nothing of evil in her, but much +indeed that is mysterious. I commend to you--prudence, love, and +fidelity." So saying, he went out, and the fisherman and his wife +followed him, crossing themselves. + +Undine had sunk on her knees: she unveiled her face and said, +looking timidly round on Huldbrand: "Alas! you will surely now not +keep me as your own; and yet I have done no evil, poor child that I +am!" As she said this, she looked so exquisitely graceful and +touching, that her bridegroom forgot all the horror he had felt, and +all the mystery that clung to her, and hastening to her he raised +her in his arms. She smiled through her tears; it was a smile like +the morning-light playing on a little stream. + +"You cannot leave me," she whispered, with confident security, +stroking the knight's cheek with her tender hand. Huldbrand tried to +dismiss the fearful thoughts that still lurked in the background of +his mind, persuading him that he was married to a fairy or to some +malicious and mischievous being of the spirit world, only the single +question half unawares escaped his lips: "My little Undine, tell me +this one thing, what was it you said of spirits of the earth and of +Kuhleborn, when the priest knocked at the door?" + +"It was nothing but fairy tales!--children's fairy tales!" said +Undine, with all her wonted gayety; "I frightened you at first with +them, and then you frightened me, that's the end of our story and of +our nuptial evening." + +"Nay! that it isn't," said the knight, intoxicated with love, and +extinguishing the tapers, he bore his beautiful beloved to the +bridal chamber by the light of the moon which shone brightly through +the windows. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING. + + +The fresh light of the morning awoke the young married pair. +Wonderful and horrible dreams had disturbed Huldbrand's rest; he had +been haunted by spectres, who, grinning at him by stealth, had tried +to disguise themselves as beautiful women, and from beautiful women +they all at once assumed the faces of dragons, and when he started +up from these hideous visions, the moonlight shone pale and cold +into the room; terrified he looked at Undine, who still lay in +unaltered beauty and grace. Then he would press a light kiss upon +her rosy lips, and would fall asleep again only to be awakened by +new terrors. After he had reflected on all this, now that he was +fully awake, he reproached himself for any doubt that could have led +him into error with regard to his beautiful wife. He begged her to +forgive him for the injustice he had done her, but she only held out +to him her fair hand, sighed deeply, and remained silent. But a +glance of exquisite fervor beamed from her eyes such as he had never +seen before, carrying with it the full assurance that Undine bore +him no ill-will. He then rose cheerfully and left her, to join his +friends in the common apartment. + +He found the three sitting round the hearth, with an air of anxiety +about them, as if they dared not venture to speak aloud. The priest +seemed to be praying in his inmost spirit that all evil might be +averted. When, however, they saw the young husband come forth so +cheerfully the careworn expression of their faces vanished. + +The old fisherman even began to jest with the knight, so pleasantly, +that the aged wife smiled good-humoredly as she listened to them. +Undine at length made her appearance. All rose to meet her and all +stood still with surprise, for the young wife seemed so strange to +them and yet the same. The priest was the first to advance toward +her with paternal arms affection beaming in his face, and, as he +raised his hand to bless her, the beautiful woman sank reverently on +her knees before him. With a few humble and gracious words she +begged him to forgive her for any foolish things she might have said +the evening before, and entreated him in an agitated tone to pray +for the welfare of her soul. She then rose, kissed her foster- +parents, and thanking them for all the goodness they had shown her, +she exclaimed: "Oh! I now feel in my innermost heart, how much, how +infinitely much, you have done for me, dear, kind people!" She could +not at first desist from her caresses, but scarcely had she +perceived that the old woman was busy in preparing breakfast, than +she went to the hearth, cooked and arranged the meal, and would not +suffer the good old mother to take the least trouble. + +She continued thus throughout the whole day, quiet, kind, and +attentive--at once a little matron and a tender, bashful girl. The +three who had known her longest expected every moment to see some +whimsical vagary of her capricious spirit burst forth. But they +waited in vain for it. Undine remained as mild and gentle as an +angel. The holy father could not take his eyes from her, and he said +repeatedly to the bridegroom: "The goodness of heaven, sir, has +intrusted a treasure to you yesterday through me, unworthy as I am; +cherish it as you ought, and it will promote your temporal and +eternal welfare." + +Toward evening Undine was hanging on the knight's arm with humble +tenderness, and drew him gently out of the door, where the declining +sun was shining pleasantly on the fresh grass, and upon the tall, +slender stems of the trees. The eyes of the young wife were moist, +as with the dew of sadness and love, and a tender and fearful secret +seemed hovering on her lips, which, however, was only disclosed by +scarcely audible sighs. She led her husband onward and onward in +silence; when he spoke, she only answered him with looks, in which, +it is true, there lay no direct reply to his inquiries, but whole +heaven of love and timid devotion. Thus they reached the edge of the +swollen forest stream, and the knight was astonished to see it +rippling along in gentle waves, without a trace of its former +wildness and swell. "By the morning it will be quite dry," said the +beautiful wife, in a regretful tone, "and you can then travel away +wherever you will, without anything to hinder you." + +"Not without you, my little Undine," replied the knight, laughing: +"remember, even if I wished to desert you, the church, and the +spiritual powers, and the emperor, and the empire would interpose +and bring the fugitive back again." + +"All depends upon you, all depends upon you," whispered his wife, +half-weeping and half-smiling. "I think, however, nevertheless, that +you will keep me with you: I love you so heartily. Now carry me +across to that little island that lies before us. The matter shall +be decided there. I could easily indeed glide through the rippling +waves, but it is so restful in your arms, and if you were to cast me +off, I shall have sweetly rested in them once more for the last +time." Huldbrand, full as he was of strange fear and emotion, knew +not what to reply. He took her in his arms and carried her across, +remembering now for the first time that this was the same little +island from which he had borne her back to the old fisherman on that +first night. On the further side he put her down on the soft grass, +and was on the point of placing himself lovingly near his beautiful +burden, when she said: "No, there opposite to me! I will read my +sentence in your eyes, before your lips speak; now, listen +attentively to what I will relate to you." And she began:-- + +"You must know, my loved one, that there are beings in the elements +which almost appear like mortals, and which rarely allow themselves +to become visible to your race. Wonderful salamanders glitter and +sport in the flames; lean and malicious gnomes dwell deep within the +earth; spirits, belonging to the air, wander through the forests, +and a vast family of water-spirits live in the lakes, and streams, +and brooks. In resounding domes of crystal, through which the sky +looks in with its sun and stars, these latter spirits find their +beautiful abode; lofty trees of coral with blue and crimson fruits +gleam in their gardens; they wander over the pure sand of the sea, +and among lovely variegated shells, and amid all exquisite treasures +of the old world, which the present is no longer worthy to enjoy; +all these the floods have covered with their secret veils of silver, +and the noble monuments sparkle below, stately and solemn, and +bedewed by the loving waters which allure from them many a beautiful +moss-flower and entwining cluster of sea-grass. Those, however, who +dwell there are very fair and lovely to behold, and for the most +part are more beautiful than human beings. Many a fisherman has been +so fortunate as to surprise some tender mermaid as she rose above +the waters and sang. He would tell afar of her beauty, and such +wonderful beings have been given the name of Undines. You, however, +are now actually beholding an Undine." + +The knight tried to persuade himself that his beautiful wife was +under the spell of one of her strange humors, and that she was +taking pleasure in teasing him with one of her extravagant +inventions. But repeatedly as he said this to himself, he could not +believe it for a moment; a strange shudder passed through him; +unable to utter a word, he stared at the beautiful narrator with an +immovable gaze. Undine shook her head sorrowfully, drew a deep sigh, +and then proceeded as follows:-- + +"Our condition would be far superior to that of other human beings-- +for human beings we call ourselves, being similar to them in form +and culture--but there is one evil peculiar to us. We and our like +in the other elements, vanish into dust and pass away, body and +spirit, so that not a vestige of us remains behind; and when you +mortals hereafter awake to a purer life, we remain with the sand and +the sparks and the wind and the waves. Hence we have also no souls; +the element moves us, and is often obedient to us while we live, +though it scatters us to dust when we die; and we are merry, without +having aught to grieve us--merry as the nightingales and the little +gold-fishes and other pretty children of nature. But all things +aspire to be higher than they are. Thus, my father, who is a +powerful water-prince in the Mediterranean Sea, desired that his +only daughter should become possessed of a soul, even though she +must then endure many of the sufferings of those thus endowed. Such +as we are, however, can only obtain a soul by the closest union of +affection with one of your human race. I am now possessed of a soul, +and my soul thanks you, my inexpressibly beloved one, and it will +ever thank you, if you do not make my whole life miserable. For what +is to become of me, if you avoid and reject me? Still, I would not +retain you by deceit. And if you mean to reject me, do so now, and +return alone to the shore. I will dive into this brook, which is my +uncle; and here in the forest, far removed from other friends, he +passes his strange and solitary life. He is, however, powerful, and +is esteemed and beloved by many great streams; and as he brought me +hither to the fisherman, a light-hearted, laughing child, he will +take me back again to my parents, a loving, suffering, and soul- +endowed woman." + +She was about to say still more, but Huldbrand embraced her with the +most heartfelt emotion and love, and bore her back again to the +shore. It was not till he reached it, that he swore amid tears and +kisses, never to forsake his sweet wife, calling himself more happy +than the Greek Pygmalion, whose beautiful statue received life from +Venus and became his loved one. In endearing confidence, Undine +walked back to the cottage, leaning on his arm; feeling now for the +first time, with all her heart, how little she ought to regret the +forsaken crystal palaces of her mysterious father. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +HOW THE KNIGHT TOOK HIS YOUNG WIFE WITH HIM. + + +When Huldbrand awoke from his sleep on the following morning, and +missed his beautiful wife from his side, he began to indulge again +in the strange thoughts, that his marriage and the charming Undine +herself were but fleeting and deceptive illusions. But at the same +moment she entered the room, sat down beside him, and said: "I have +been out rather early to see if my uncle keeps his word. He has +already led all the waters back again into his own calm channel, and +he now flows through the forest, solitarily and dreamily as before. +His friends in the water and the air have also returned to repose: +all will again go on quietly and regularly, and you can travel +homeward when you will, dry-shod." It seemed to Huldbrand as though +he were in a waking dream, so little could he reconcile himself to +the strange relationship of his wife. Nevertheless he made no +remark on the matter, and the exquisite grace of his bride soon +lulled to rest every uneasy misgiving. When he was afterward +standing before the door with her, and looking over the green +peninsula with its boundary of clear waters, he felt so happy +in this cradle of his love, that he exclaimed: "Why shall we +travel so soon as to-day? We shall scarcely find more pleasant days +in the world yonder than those we have spent in this quiet little +shelter. Let us yet see the sun go down here twice or thrice more." + +"As my lord wills," replied Undine, humbly. "It is only that the old +people will, at all events, part from me with pain, and when they +now for the first time perceive the true soul within me, and how I +can now heartily love and honor, their feeble eyes will be dimmed +with plentiful tears. At present they consider my quietness and +gentleness of no better promise than before, like the calmness of +the lake when the air is still; and, as matters now are, they will +soon learn to cherish a flower or a tree as they have cherished me. +Do not, therefore, let me reveal to them this newly-bestowed and +loving heart, just at the moment when they must lose it for this +world; and how could I conceal it, if we remain longer together?" + +Huldbrand conceded the point; he went to the aged people and talked +with them over the journey, which he proposed to undertake +immediately. The holy father offered to accompany the young married +pair, and, after a hasty farewell, he and the knight assisted the +beautiful bride to mount her horse, and walked with rapid step by +her side over the dry channel of the forest-stream into the wood +beyond. Undine wept silently but bitterly, and the old people gave +loud expression to their grief. It seemed as if they had a +presentiment of all they were now losing in their foster-child. + +The three travellers had reached in silence the densest shades of +the forest. It must have been a fair sight, under that green canopy +of leaves, to see Undine's lovely form, as she sat on her noble and +richly ornamented steed, with the venerable priest in the white garb +of his order on one side of her, and on the other the blooming young +knight in his gay and splendid attire, with his sword at his girdle. +Huldbrand had no eyes but for his beautiful wife Undine, who had +dried her tears, had no eyes but for him, and they soon fell into a +mute, voiceless converse of glance and gesture, from which they were +only roused at length by the low talking of the reverend father with +a fourth traveller, who in the mean while had joined them +unobserved. + +He wore a white garment almost resembling the dress of the priests +order, except that his hood hung low over his face, and his whole +attire floated round him in such vast folds that he was obliged +every moment to gather it up, and throw it over his arm, or dispose +of it in some way, and yet it did not in the least seem to impede +his movements. When the young couple first perceived him, he was +just saying "And so, venerable sir. I have now dwelt for many years +here in the forest, and yet no one could call me a hermit, in your +sense of the word. For, as I said, I know nothing of penance, and I +do not think I have any especial need of it. I lose the forest only +for this reason, that its beauty is quite peculiar to itself, and it +amuses me to pass along in my flowing white garments among the eases +and dusky shadows, while now and then a sweet sunbeam shines down +unexpectedly upon me." + +"You are a very strange man," replied the priest, "and I should like +to be more closely acquainted with you." + +"And to pass from one thing to another, who may you be yourself?" +asked the stranger. + +"I am called Father Heilmann," said the holy man; "and I come from +the monastery of 'our Lady' which lies on the other side of the +lake." + +"Indeed," replied the stranger; "my name is Kuhleborn, and so far as +courtesy is concerned I might claim the title of Lord of Kuhleborn, +or free Lord of Kuhleborn; for I am as free as the birds in the +forest and perhaps a little more so. For example, I have now +something to say to the young lady there." And before they were +aware of his intention, he was at the other side of the priest, +close beside Undine, stretching himself up to whisper something in +her ear. + +But she turned from him with alarm, and exclaimed: "I have nothing +more to do with you." + +"Ho, ho," laughed the stranger, "what is this immensely grand +marriage you have made, that you don't know your own relations any +longer? Have you forgotten your uncle Kuhleborn, who so faithfully +bore you on his back through this region?" + +"I beg you, nevertheless," replied Undine, "not to appear in my +presence again. I am now afraid of you; and suppose my husband +should learn to avoid me when he sees me in such strange company and +with such relations!" + +"My little niece," said Kuhleborn, "you must not forget that I am +with you here as a guide; the spirits of earth that haunt this place +might otherwise play some of their stupid pranks with you. Let me +therefore go quietly on with you; the old priest there remembered me +better than you appear to have done, for he assured me just now that +I seemed familiar to him, and that I must have been with him in the +boat, out of which he fell into the water. I was so, truly enough; +for I was the water-spout that carried him out of it and washed him +safely ashore for your wedding." + +Undine and the knight turned toward Father Heilmann; but he seemed +walking on, as in a sort of dream, and no longer to be conscious of +all that was passing. Undine then said to Kuhleborn, "I see yonder +the end of the forest. We no longer need your help, and nothing +causes us alarm but yourself. I beg you, therefore, in all love and +good-will, vanish, and let us proceed in peace." + +Kuhleborn seemed to become angry at this; his countenance assumed a +frightful expression, and he grinned fiercely at Undine, who +screamed aloud and called upon her husband for assistance. As quick +as lightning, the knight sprang to the other side of the horse, and +aimed his sharp sword at Kuhleborn's head. But the sword cut through +a waterfall, which was rushing down near them from a lofty crag; and +with a splash, which almost sounded like a burst of laughter, it +poured over them and wet them through to the skin. + +The priest, as if suddenly awaking, exclaimed "I have long been +expecting that, for the stream ran down from the height so close to +us. At first it really seemed to me like a man, and as if it could +speak." As the waterfall came rushing down, it distinctly uttered +these words in Huldbrand's ear:-- + +"Rash knight, + Brave knight, + Rage, feel I not, + Chide, will I not. + But ever guard thy little wife as well, + Rash knight, brave knight! Protect her well!" + +A few footsteps more, and they were upon open ground. The imperial +city lay bright before them, and the evening sun, which gilded its +towers, kindly dried the garments of the drenched wanderers. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +HOW THEY LIVED IN THE CITY. + + +The sudden disappearance of the young knight, Huldbrand von +Ringstetten, from the imperial city, had caused great sensation and +solicitude among those who had admired him, both for his skill in +the tournament and the dance, and no less so for his gentle and +agreeable manners. His servants would not quit the place without +their master, although not one of them would have had the courage to +go in quest of him into the shadowy recesses of the forest. They +therefore remained in their quarters, inactively hoping, as men are +wont to do, and keeping alive the remembrance of their lost lord by +their lamentations. When, soon after, the violent storms and floods +were observed, the less doubt was entertained as to the certain +destruction of the handsome stranger; and Bertalda openly mourned +for him and blamed herself for having allured the unfortunate knight +into the forest. Her foster-parents, the duke and duchess, had come +to fetch her away, but Bertalda entreated them to remain with her +until certain intelligence had been obtained of Huldbrand's fate. +She endeavored to prevail upon several young knights, who were +eagerly courting her, to follow the noble adventurer to the forest. +But she would not pledge her hand as a reward of the enterprise, +because she always cherished the hope of belonging to the returning +knight, and no glove, nor riband, nor even kiss, would tempt any one +to expose his life for the sake of bringing back such a dangerous +rival. + +When Huldbrand now suddenly and unexpectedly appeared, his servants. +and the inhabitants of the city, and almost every one, rejoiced. +Bertalda alone refused to do so; for agreeable as it was to the +others that he should bring with him such a beautiful bride, and +Father Heilmann as a witness of the marriage, Bertalda could feel +nothing but grief and vexation. In the first place, she had really +loved the young knight with all her heart, and in the next, her +sorrow at his absence had proclaimed this far more before the eyes +of all, than was now befitting. She still, however, conducted +herself as a wise maiden, reconciled herself to circumstances, and +lived on the most friendly terms with Undine, who was looked upon +throughout the city as a princess whom Huldbrand had rescued in the +forest from some evil enchantment. When she or her husband were +questioned on the matter, they were wise enough to be silent or +skilfully to evade the inquiries. Father Heilmann's lips were sealed +to idle gossip of any kind, and moreover, immediately after +Huldbrand's arrival, he had returned to his monastery; so that +people were obliged to be satisfied with their own strange +conjectures, and even Bertalda herself knew no more of the truth +than others. + +Day by day, Undine felt her affection increase for the fair maiden. +"We must have known each other before," she often used to say to +her, "or else, there must be some mysterious connection between us, +for one does not love another as dearly as I have loved you from the +first moment of our meeting without some cause--some deep and secret +cause." And Bertalda also could not deny the fact that she felt +drawn to Undine with a tender feeling of confidence, however much +she might consider that she had cause for the bitterest lamentation +at this successful rival. Biassed by this mutual affection, they +both persuaded--the one her foster-parents, the other her husband-- +to postpone the day of departure from time to time; indeed, it was +even proposed that Bertalda should accompany Undine for a time to +castle Ringstetten, near the source of the Danube. + +They were talking over this plan one beautiful evening, as they were +walking by starlight in the large square of the Imperial city, under +the tall trees that enclose it. The young married pair had incited +Bertalda to join them in their evening walk, and all three were +strolling up and down under the dark-blue sky, often interrupting +their familiar talk to admire the magnificent fountain in the middle +of the square, as its waters rushed and bubbled forth with wonderful +beauty. It had a soothing happy influence upon them; between the +shadows of the trees there stole glimmerings of light from the +adjacent houses; a low murmur of children at play, and of others +enjoying their walk, floated around them; they were so alone, and +yet in the midst of the bright and living world; whatever had +appeared difficult by day, now became smooth as of itself; and the +three friends could no longer understand why the slightest +hesitation had existed with regard to Bertalda's visit to +Ringstetten. Presently, just as they were on the point of fixing the +day for their common departure, a tall man approached them from the +middle of the square, bowed respectfully to the company, and said +something in the ear of the young wife. Displeased as she was at the +interruption and its cause, she stepped a little aside with the +stranger, and both began to whisper together, as it seemed, in a +foreign tongue. Huldbrand fancied he knew the strange man, and he +stared so fixedly at him that he neither heard nor answered +Bertalda's astonished inquiries. + +All at once Undine, clapping her hands joyfully, and laughing, +quitted the stranger's side, who, shaking his head, retired hastily +and discontentedly, and vanished in the fountain. Huldbrand now felt +certain on the point, but Bertalda asked: "And what did the master +of the fountain want with you, dear Undine?" + +The young wife laughed within herself, and replied: "The day after +to-morrow, my dear child, on the anniversary of your name-day, you +shall know it." And nothing more would she disclose. She invited +Bertalda and sent an invitation to her foster-parents, to dine with +them on the appointed day, and soon after they parted. + +"Kuhleborn? was it Kuhleborn?" said Huldbrand, with a secret +shudder, to his beautiful bride, when they had taken leave of +Bertalda, and were now going home through the darkening streets. + +"Yes, it was he," replied Undine, "and he was going to say all sorts +of nonsensical things to me. But, in the midst, quite contrary to +his intention, he delighted me with a most welcome piece of news. If +you wish to hear it at once, my dear lord and husband, you have but +to command, and I will tell it you without reserve. But if you would +confer a real pleasure on your Undine, you will wait till the day +after to-morrow, and you will then have your share too in the +surprise." + +The knight gladly complied with his wife's desire, which had been +urged so sweetly, and as she fell asleep, she murmured smilingly to +herself: "Dear, dear Bertalda! How she will rejoice and be +astonished at what her master of the fountain told me!" + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +THE ANNIVERSARY OF BERTALDA'S NAME-DAY. + + +The company were sitting at dinner; Bertalda, looking like some +goddess of spring with her flowers and jewels, the presents of her +foster-parents and friends, was placed between Undine and Huldbrand. +When the rich repast was ended, and the last course had appeared, +the doors were left open, according to a good old German custom, +that the common people might look on, and take part in the festivity +of the nobles. Servants were carrying round cake and wine among the +spectators. Huldbrand and Bertalda were waiting with secret +impatience for the promised explanation, and sat with their eyes +fixed steadily on Undine. But the beautiful wife still continued +silent, and only kept smiling to herself with secret and hearty +satisfaction. All who knew of the promise she had given could see +that she was every moment on the point of betraying her happy +secret, and that it was with a sort of longing renunciation that she +withheld it, just as children sometimes delay the enjoyment of their +choicest morsels. Bertalda and Huldbrand shared this delightful +feeling, and expected with fearful hope the tidings which were to +fall from the lips of Undine. Several of the company pressed Undine +to sing. The request seemed opportune, and ordering her lute to be +brought, she sang the following words:-- + +Bright opening day, + Wild flowers so gay, + Tall grasses their thirst that slake, + On the banks of the billowy lake! + +What glimmers there so shining + The reedy growth entwining? + Is it a blossom white as snow + Fallen from heav'n here below? + +It is an infant, frail and dear! + With flowerets playing in its dreams + And grasping morning's golden beams; + Oh! whence, sweet stranger, art thou here? + +From some far-off and unknown strand, + The lake has borne thee to this land. + +Nay, grasp not tender little one, + With thy tiny hand outspread; + No hand will meet thy touch with love, + Mute is that flowery bed. + +The flowers can deck themselves so fair + And breathe forth fragrance blest, + Yet none can press thee to itself, + Like that far-off mother's breast. + +So early at the gate of life, + With smiles of heav'n on thy brow, + Thou hast the best of treasures lost, + Poor wand'ring child, nor know'st it now. + +A noble duke comes riding by, + And near thee checks his courser's speed, + And full of ardent chivalry + He bears thee home upon his steed. + +Much, endless much, has been thy gain! + Thou bloom'st the fairest in the land! + Yet ah! the priceless joy of all, + Thou'st left upon an unknown strand. + +Undine dropped her lute with a melancholy smile, and the eyes of +Bertalda's foster-parents were filled with tears. "Yes, so it was on +the morning that I found you, my poor sweet orphan," said the duke, +deeply agitated; "the beautiful singer is certainly right; we have +not been able to give you that `priceless joy of all.'" + +"But we must also hear how it fared with the poor parents," said +Undine, as she resumed her lute, and sang:-- + +Thro' every chamber roams the mother, + Moves and searches everywhere, + Seeks, she scarce knows what, with sadness, + And finds an empty house is there. + +An empty house! Oh, word of sorrow, + To her who once had been so blest, + Who led her child about by day + And cradled it at night to rest. + +The beech is growing green again, + The sunshine gilds its wonted spot, + But mother, cease thy searching vain! + Thy little loved one cometh not. + +And when the breath of eve blows cool, + And father in his home appears, + The smile he almost tries to wear + Is quenched at once by gushing tears. + +Full well he knows that in his home + He naught can find but wild despair, + He hears the mother's grieved lament + And no bright infant greets him there. + +"Oh! for God's sake, Undine, where are my parents?" cried the weeping +Bertalda; "you surely know; you have discovered them, you wonderful +being, for otherwise you would not have thus torn me heart. Are they +perhaps already here? Can it be?" Her eye passed quickly over the +brilliant company and lingered on a lady of high rank who was +sitting next her foster-father. Undine, however, turned toward the +door, while her eyes overflowed with the sweetest emotion. "Where +are the poor waiting parents?" she inquired, and, the old fisherman +and his wife advanced hesitatingly from the crowd of spectators. +Their glance rested inquiringly now on Undine, now on the beautiful +girl who was said to be their daughter "It is she," said the +delighted benefactress, in a faltering tone, and the two old people +hung round the neck of their recovered child, weeping and praising +God. + +But amazed and indignant, Bertalda tore herself from their embrace. +Such a recognition was too much for this proud mind, at a moment +when she had surely imagined that her former splendor would even be +increased, and when hope was deluding her with a vision of almost +royal honors. It seemed to her as if her rival had devised all this +on purpose signally to humble her before Huldbrand and the whole +world. She reviled Undine, she reviled the old people, and bitter +invectives, such as "deceiver" and "bribed impostors," fell from her +lips. Then the old fisherman's wife said in a low voice to herself: +"Ah me, she is become a wicked girl; and yet I feel in my heart that +she is my child." + +The old fisherman, however, had folded his hands, and was praying +silently that this might not be his daughter. Undine, pale as death, +turned with agitation from the parents to Bertalda, and from +Bertalda to the parents; suddenly cast down from that heaven of +happiness of which she had dreamed, and overwhelmed with a fear and +a terror such as she had never known even in imagination. "Have you +a soul? Have you really a soul, Bertalda?" she cried again and again +to her angry friend, as if forcibly to rouse her to consciousness +from some sudden delirium or maddening nightmare. But when Bertalda +only became more and more enraged, when the repulsed parents began +to weep aloud, and the company, in eager dispute, were taking +different sides, she begged in such a dignified and serious manner +to be allowed to speak in this her husband's hall, that all around +were in a moment silenced. She then advanced to the upper end of the +table, where Bertalda has seated herself, and with a modest and yet +proud air, while every eye was fixed upon her, she spoke as +follows:-- + +"My friends, you look so angry and disturbed and you have +interrupted my happy feast by your disputings. Ah! I knew nothing of +your foolish habits and your heartless mode of thinking, and I shall +never all my life long become accustomed to them. It is not my fault +that this affair has resulted in evil; believe me, the fault is with +yourselves alone, little as it may appear to you to be so. I have +therefore but little to say to you, but one thing I must say: I have +spoken nothing but truth. I neither can nor will give you proofs +beyond my own assertion, but I will swear to the truth of this. I +received this information from the very person who allured Bertalda +into the water, away from her parents, and who afterward placed her +on the green meadow in the duke's path." + +"She is an enchantress!" cried Bertalda, "a witch, who has +intercourse with evil spirits. She acknowledges it herself." + +"I do not," said Undine, with a whole heaven innocence and +confidence beaming, in her eyes. "I am no witch; only look at me." + +"She is false and boastful," interrupted Bertalda, "and she cannot +prove that I am the child of these low people. My noble parents, I +beg you to take me from this company and out of this city, where +they are only bent on insulting me." + +But the aged and honorable duke remained unmoved, and his wife, +said: "We must thoroughly examine how we are to act. God forbid that +we should move a step from this hall until we have done so." + +Then the old wife of the fisherman drew near, and making a low +reverence to the duchess, she said: "Noble, god-fearing lady, you +have opened my heart. I must tell you, if this evil-disposed young +lady is my daughter, she has a mark, like a violet, between her +shoulders, and another like it on the instep of her left foot. If +she would only go out of the hall with me!" + +"I shall not uncover myself before the peasant woman!" exclaimed +Bertalda, proudly turning her back on her. + +"But before me you will." rejoined the duchess, very gravely. +"Follow me into that room, girl, and the good old woman shall come +with us." The three disappeared, and the rest of the company +remained where they were, in silent expectation. After a short time +they returned; Bertalda was pale as death. "Right is right." said +the duchess; "I must therefore declare that our hostess has spoken +perfect, truth. Bertalda is the fisherman's daughter, and that is as +much as it is necessary to inform you here." + +The princely pair left with their adopted daughter; and at a sign +from the duke, the fisherman and his wife followed them. The other +guests retired in silence or with secret murmurs, and Undine sank +weeping into Huldbrand's arms. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +HOW THEY DEPARTED FROM THE IMPERIAL CITY. + + +The lord of Ringstetten would have certainly preferred the events of +this day to have been different; but even as they were, he could +scarcely regret them wholly, as they had exhibited his charming wife +under such a good and sweet and kindly aspect. "If I have given her +a soul," he could not help saying to himself, "I have indeed given +her a better one than my own;" and his only thought now was to speak +soothingly to the weeping Undine, and on the following morning to +quit with her a place which, after this incident, must have become +distasteful to her. It is true that she was not estimated +differently to what she had been. As something mysterious had long +been expected of her, the strange discovery of Bertalda's origin had +caused no great surprise, and every one who had heard the story and +had seen Bertalda's violent behavior, was disgusted with her alone. +Of this, however, the knight and his lady knew nothing as yet; and, +besides, the condemnation or approval of the public was equally +painful to Undine, and thus there was no better course to pursue +than to leave the walls of the old city behind them with all the +speed possible. + +With the earliest beams of morning a pretty carriage drove up to the +entrance gate for Undine: the horses which Huldbrand and his squires +were to ride stood near, pawing the ground with impatient eagerness. +The knight was leading his beautiful wife from the door, when a +fisher-girl crossed their way. "We do not need your fish," said +Huldbrand to her, "we are now starting on our journey." Upon this +the fisher-girl began to weep bitterly, and the young couple +perceived for the first time that it was Bertalda. They immediately +returned with her to their apartment, and learned from her that the +duke and duchess were so displeased at her violent and unfeeling +conduct on the preceding way, that they had entirely withdrawn their +protection from her, though not without giving her a rich portion. + +The fisherman, too, had been handsomely rewarded, and had the +evening before set out with his wife to return to their secluded +home. + +"I would have gone with them," she continued, "but the old +fisherman, who is said to be my father"-- + +"And he is so indeed, Bertalda," interrupted Undine. "Look here, the +stranger, whom you took for the master of the fountain, told me the +whole story in detail. He wished to dissuade me from taking you with +me to castle Ringstetten, and this led him to disclose the secret." + +"Well, then," said Bertalda, "if it must be so, my father said, 'I +will not take you with me until you are changed. Venture to come to +us alone through the haunted forest; that shall be the proof whether +you have any regard for us. But do not come to me as a lady; come +only as a fisher-girl!' So I will do just as he has told me, for I +am forsaken by the whole world, and I will live and die in solitude +as a poor fisher-girl, with my poor parents. I have a terrible dread +though of the forest. Horrible spectres are said to dwell in it, and +I am so fearful. But how can I help it? I only came here to implore +pardon of the noble lady of Ringstetten for my unbecoming behavior +yesterday. I feel sure, sweet lady, you meant to do me a kindness, +but you knew not how you would wound me, and in my agony and +surprise, many a rash and frantic expression passed my lips. Oh +forgive, forgive! I am already so unhappy. Only think yourself what +I was yesterday morning, yesterday at the beginning of your banquet, +and what I am now!" + +Her voice became stifled with a passionate flood of tears, and +Undine, also weeping bitterly, fell on her neck. It was some time +before the deeply agitated Undine could utter a word; at length she +said:-- + +"You can go with us to Ringstetten; everything shall remain as it +was arranged before; only do not speak to me again as 'noble lady.' +You see, we were exchanged for each other as children; our faces +even then sprang as it were from the same stem, and we will now so +strengthen this kindred destiny that no human power shall be able to +separate it. Only, first of all, come with us to Ringstetten. We +will discuss there how we shall share all things as sisters." + +Bertalda looked timidly toward Huldbrand. He pitied the beautiful +girl in her distress, and offering her his hand he begged her +tenderly to intrust herself with him and his wife. "We will send a +message to your parents," he continued, "to tell them why you are +not come;" and he would have added more with regard to the worthy +fisherman and his wife, but he saw that Bertalda shrunk with pain +from the mention of their name, and he therefore refrained from +saying more. + +He then assisted her first into the carriage, Undine followed her; +and he mounted his horse and trotted merrily by the side of them, +urging the driver at the same time to hasten his speed, so that very +soon they were beyond the confines of the imperial city and all its +sad remembrances; and now the ladies began to enjoy the beautiful +country through which their road lay. + +After a journey of some days, they arrived one exquisite evening, at +castle Ringstetten. The young knight had much to hear from his +overseers and vassals, so that Undine and Bertalda were left alone. + +They both repaired to the ramparts of the fortress, and were +delighted with the beautiful landscape which spread far and wide +through fertile Swabia. + +Presently a tall man approached them, greeting them respectfully, +and Bertalda fancied she saw a resemblance to the master of the +fountain in the imperial city. Still more unmistakable grew the +likeness, when Undine angrily and almost threateningly waved him +off, and he retreated with hasty steps and shaking head, as he had +done before, and disappeared into a neighboring copse. Undine, +however, said: + +"Don't be afraid, dear Bertalda, this time the hateful master of the +fountain shall do you no harm." And then she told her the whole +story in detail, and who she was herself, and how Bertalda had been +taken away from the fisherman and his wife, and Undine had gone to +them. The girl was at first terrified with this relation; she +imagined her friend must be seized with sudden madness, but she +became more convinced that all was true, for Undine's story was so +connected, and fitted so well with former occurrences, and still +more she had that inward feeling with which truth never fails to +make itself known to us. It seemed strange to her that she was now +herself living, as it were, in the midst of one of those fairy tales +to which she had formerly only listened. + +She gazed upon Undine with reverence, but she could not resist a +sense of dread that seemed to come between her and her friend, and +at their evening repast she could not but wonder how the knight +could behave so lovingly and kindly toward a being who appeared to +her, since the discovery she had just made, more of a phantom than a +human being. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +HOW THEY LIVED AT CASTLE RINGSTETTEN. + + +The writer of this story, both because it moves his own heart, and +because he wishes it to move that of others, begs you, dear reader, +to pardon him, if he now briefly passes over a considerable space of +time, only cursorily mentioning the events that marked it. He knows +well that he might portray skilfully, step by step, how Huldbrand's +heart began to turn from Undine to Bertalda; how Bertalda more and +more responded with ardent affection to the young knight, and how +they both looked upon the poor wife as a mysterious being rather to +be feared than pitied; how Undine wept, and how her tears stung the +knight's heart with remorse without awakening his former love, so +that though he at times was kind and endearing to her, a cold +shudder would soon draw him from her, and he would turn to his +fellow-mortal, Bertalda. All this the writer knows might be fully +detailed, and perhaps ought to have been so; but such a task would +have been too painful, for similar things have been known to him by +sad experience, and he shrinks from their shadow even in +remembrance. You know probably a like feeling, dear reader, for such +is the lot of mortal man. Happy are you if you have received rather +than inflicted the pain, for in such things it is more blessed to +receive than to give. If it be so, such recollections will only +bring a feeling of sorrow to your mind, and perhaps a tear will +trickle down your cheek over the faded flowers that once caused you +such delight. But let that be enough. We will not pierce our hearts +with a thousand separate things, but only briefly state, as I have +just said, how matters were. + +Poor Undine was very sad, and the other two were not to be called +happy. Bertalda especially thought that she could trace the effect +of jealousy on the part of the injured wife whenever her wishes were +in any way thwarted by her. She had therefore habituated herself to +an imperious demeanor, to which Undine yielded in sorrowful +submission, and the now blinded Huldbrand usually encouraged this +arrogant behavior in the strongest manner. But the circumstance that +most of all disturbed the inmates of the castle, was a variety of +wonderful apparitions which met Huldbrand and Bertalda in the +vaulted galleries of the castle, and which had never been heard of +before as haunting the locality. The tall white man, in whom +Huldbrand recognized only too plainly Uncle Kuhleborn, and Bertalda +the spectral master of the fountain, often passed before them with a +threatening aspect, and especially before Bertalda; so much so, that +she had already several times been made ill with terror, and had +frequently thought of quitting the castle. But still she stayed +there, partly because Huldbrand was so dear to her, and she relied +on her innocence, no words of love having ever passed between them, +and partly also because she knew not whither to direct her steps. +The old fisherman, on receiving the message from the lord of +Ringstetten that Bertalda was his guest, had written a few lines in +an almost illegible hand, but as good as his advanced age and long +dis-would admit of. + +"I have now become," he wrote, "a poor old widower, for my dear and +faithful wife is dead. However lonely I now sit in my cottage, +Bertalda is better with you than with me. Only let her do nothing to +harm my beloved Undine! She will have my curse if it be so." The +last words of this letter, Bertalda flung to the winds, but she +carefully retained the part respecting her absence from her father-- +just as we are all wont to do in similar circumstances. + +One day, when Huldbrand had just ridden out, Undine summoned +together the domestics of the family, and ordered them to bring a +large stone, and carefully to cover with it the magnificent fountain +which stood in the middle of the castle-yard. The servants objected +that it would oblige them to bring water from the valley below. +Undine smiled sadly. "I am sorry, my people," she replied, "to +increase your work. I would rather myself fetch up the pitchers, but +this fountain must be closed. Believe me that it cannot be +otherwise, and that it is only by so doing that we can avoid a +greater evil." + +The whole household were glad to be able to please their gentle +mistress; they made no further inquiry, but seized the enormous +stone. They were just raising it in their hands, and were already +poising it over the fountain, when Bertalda came running up, and +called out to them to stop, as it was from this fountain that the +water was brought which was so good for her complexion, and she +would never consent to its being closed. Undine, however, although +gentle as usual, was more than usually firm. She told Bertalda that +it was her due, as mistress of the house, to arrange her household +as she thought best, and that, in this, she was accountable to no +one but her lord and husband. "See, oh, pray see," exclaimed +Bertalda, in an angry, yet uneasy tone, "how the poor beautiful +water is curling and writhing at being shut out from the bright +sunshine and from the cheerful sight of the human face, for whose +mirror it was created!" + +The water in the fountain was indeed wonderfully agitated and +hissing; it seemed as if something within were struggling to free +itself, but Undine only the more earnestly urged the fulfilment of +her orders. The earnestness was scarcely needed. The servants of the +castle were as happy in obeying their gentle mistress as in opposing +Bertalda's haughty defiance; and in spite of all the rude scolding +and threatening of the latter the stone was soon firmly lying over +the opening of the fountain. Undine leaned thoughtfully over it, and +wrote with her beautiful fingers on its surface. She must, however, +have had something very sharp and cutting in her hand, for when she +turned away, and the servants drew near to examine the stone, they +perceived various strange characters upon it, which none of them had +seen there before. + +Bertalda received the knight, on his return home in the evening, +with tears and complaints of Undine's conduct. He cast a serious +look at his poor wife, and she looked down as if distressed. Yet she +said with great composure: "My lord and husband does not reprove +even a bondslave without a hearing, how much less then, his wedded +wife?" + +"Speak," said the knight with a gloomy countenance, "what induced +you to act so strangely?" + +"I should like to tell you when we are quite alone," sighed Undine. + +"You can tell me just as well in Bertalda's presence," was the +rejoinder. + +"Yes, if you command me," said Undine; "but command it not. Oh pray, +pray command it not!" + +She looked so humble, so sweet, and obedient, that the knight's +heart felt a passing gleam from better times. He kindly placed her +arm within his own, and led her to his apartment, when she began to +speak as follows:-- + +"You already know, my beloved lord, something of my evil uncle, +Kuhleborn, and you have frequently been displeased at meeting him in +the galleries of this castle. He has several times frightened +Bertalda into illness. This is because he is devoid of soul, a mere +elemental mirror of the outward world, without the power of +reflecting the world within. He sees, too, sometimes, that you are +dissatisfied with me; that I, in my childishness, am weeping at +this, and that Bertalda perhaps is at the very same moment laughing. +Hence he imagines various discrepancies in our home life, and in +many ways mixes unbidden with our circle. What is the good of +reproving him? What is the use of sending him angrily away? He does +not believe a word I say. His poor nature has no idea that the joys +and sorrows of love have so sweet a resemblance, and are so closely +linked that no power can separate them. Amid tears a smile shines +forth, and a smile allures tears from their secret chambers." + +She looked up at Huldbrand, smiling and weeping; and he again +experienced within his heart all the charm of his old love. She felt +this, and pressing him more tenderly to her, she continued amid +tears of joy:-- + +"As the disturber of our peace was not to be dismissed with words, I +have been obliged to shut the door upon him. And the only door by +which he obtains access to us is that fountain. He is cut off by the +adjacent valleys from the other water-spirits in the neighborhood, +and his kingdom only commences further off on the Danube, into which +some of his good friends direct their course. For this reason I had +the stone placed over the opening of the fountain, and I inscribed +characters upon it which cripple all my uncle's power, so that he +can now neither intrude upon you, nor upon me, nor upon Bertalda. +Human beings, it is true, can raise the stone again with ordinary +effort, in spite of the characters inscribed on it. The inscription +does not hinder them. If you wish, therefore, follow Bertalda's +desire, but, truly! she knows not what she asks. The rude Kuhleborn +has set his mark especially upon her; and if much came to pass which +he has predicted to me, and which might, indeed, happen without your +meaning any evil, ah! dear one, even you would then be exposed to +danger!" + +Huldbrand felt deeply the generosity of his sweet wife, in her +eagerness to shut up her formidable protector, while she had even +been chided for it by Bertalda. He pressed her in his arms with the +utmost affection, and said with emotion: "The stone shall remain, +and all shall remain, now and ever, as you wish to have it, my sweet +Undine." + +She caressed him with humble delight, as she heard the expressions +of love so long withheld, and then at length she said: "My dearest +husband, you are so gentle and kind to-day, may I venture to ask a +favor of you? See now, it is just the same with you as it is with +summer. In the height of its glory, summer puts on the flaming and +thundering crown of mighty storms, and assumes the air of a king +over the earth. You, too, sometimes, let your fury rise, and your +eyes flash and your voice is angry, and this becomes you well, +though I, in my folly, may sometimes weep at it. But never, I pray +you, behave thus toward me on the water, or even when we are near +it. You see, my relatives would then acquire a right over me. They +would unrelentingly tear me from you in their rage; because they +would imagine that one of their race was injured, and I should be +compelled all my life to dwell below in the crystal palaces, and +should never dare to ascend to you again; or they would send me up +to you--and that, oh God, would be infinitely worse. No, no, my +beloved husband, do not let it come to that, if your poor Undine is +dear to you." + +He promised solemnly to do as she desired, and they both returned +from the apartment, full of happiness and affection. At that moment +Bertalda appeared with some workmen, to whom she had already given +orders, and said in a sullen tone, which she had assumed of late: "I +suppose the secret conference is at an end, and now the stone may be +removed. Go out, workmen, and attend to it." + +But the knight, angry at her impertinence, desired in short and very +decisive words that the stone should be left: he reproved Bertalda, +too, for her violence toward his wife. Whereupon the workmen +withdrew, smiling with secret satisfaction: while Bertalda, pale +with rage, hurried away to her room. + +The hour for the evening repast arrived, and Bertalda they waited for +in vain. They sent after her, but the domestic found her apartments +empty, and only brought back with him a sealed letter addressed to +the knight. He opened it with alarm, and read: "I feel with shame +that I am only a poor fisher-girl. I will expiate my fault in having +forgotten this for a moment by going to the miserable cottage of my +parents. Farewell to you and your beautiful wife." + +Undine was heartily distressed. She earnestly entreated Huldbrand to +hasten after their friend and bring her back again. Alas! she had no +need to urge him. His affection for Bertalda burst forth again with +vehemence. He hurried round the castle, inquiring if any one had +seen which way the fugitive had gone. He could learn nothing of her, +and he was already on his horse in the castle-yard, resolved at a +venture to take the road by which he had brought Bertalda hither. +Just then a page appeared, who assured him that he had met the lady +on the path to the Black Valley. Like an arrow the knight sprang +through the gateway in the direction indicated, without hearing +Undine's voice of agony, as she called to him from the window:-- + +"To the Black Valley! Oh, not there! Huldbrand, don't go there! or, +for heaven's sake, take me with you!" But when she perceived that +all her calling was in vain, she ordered her white palfrey to be +immediately saddled, and rode after the knight, without allowing any +servant to accompany her. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +HOW BERTALDA RETURNED HOME WITH THE KNIGHT. + + +The Black Valley lies deep within the mountains. What it is now +called we do not know. At that time the people of the country gave +it this appellation on account of the deep obscurity in which the +low land lay, owing to the shadows of the lofty trees, and +especially firs, that grew there. Even the brook which bubbled +between the rocks wore the same dark hue, and dashed along with none +of that gladness with which streams are wont to flow that have the +blue sky immediately above them. Now, in the growing twilight of +evening, it looked wild and gloomy between the heights. The knight +trotted anxiously along the edge of the brook, fearful at one moment +that by delay he might allow the fugitive to advance too far, and at +the next that by too great rapidity he might overlook her in case +she were concealing herself from him. Meanwhile he had already +penetrated tolerably far into the valley, and might soon hope to +overtake the maiden, if he were on the right track. The fear that +this might not be the case made his heart beat with anxiety. Where +would the tender Bertalda tarry through the stormy night, which was +so fearful in the valley, should he fail to find her? At length he +saw something white gleaming through the branches on the slope of +the mountain. He thought he recognized Bertalda's dress, and he +turned his course in that direction. But his horse refused to go +forward; it reared impatiently; and its master, unwilling to lose a +moment, and seeing moreover that the copse was impassable on +horseback, dismounted; and, fastening his snorting steed to an elm- +tree, he worked his way cautiously through the bushes. The branches +sprinkled his forehead and cheeks with the cold drops of the evening +dew; a distant roll of thunder was heard murmuring from the other +side of the mountains; everything looked so strange that he began to +feel a dread of the white figure, which now lay only a short +distance from him on the ground. Still he could plainly see that it +was a female, either asleep or in a swoon, and that she was attired +in long white garments, such as Bertalda had worn on that day. He +stepped close up to her, made a rustling with the branches, and let +his sword clatter, but she moved not. "Bertalda!" he exclaimed, at +first in a low voice, and then louder and louder--still she heard +not. At last, when he uttered the dear name with a more powerful +effort, a hollow echo from the mountain-caverns of the valley +indistinctly reverberated "Bertalda!" but still the sleeper woke +not. He bent down over her; the gloom of the valley and the +obscurity of approaching night would not allow him to distinguish +her features. + +Just as he was stooping closer over her, with a feeling of painful +doubt, a flash of lightning shot across the valley, and he saw +before him a frightfully distorted countenance, and a hollow voice +exclaimed: "Give me a kiss, you enamoured swain!" + +Huldbrand sprang up with a cry of horror, and the hideous figure +rose with him. "Go home!" it murmured; "wizards are on the watch. Go +home! or I will have you!" and it stretched out its long white arms +toward him. + +"Malicious Kuhleborn!" cried the knight, recovering himself, "What +do you concern me, you goblin? There, take your kiss!" And he +furiously hurled his sword at the figure. But it vanished like +vapor, and a gush of water which wetted him through left the knight +no doubt as to the foe with whom he had been engaged. + +"He wishes to frighten me back from Bertalda," said he aloud to +himself; "he thinks to terrify me with his foolish tricks, and to +make me give up the poor distressed girl to him, so that he can +wreak his vengeance on her. But he shall not do that, weak spirit of +the elements as he is. No powerless phantom can understand what a +human heart can do when its best energies are aroused." He felt the +truth of his words, and that the very expression of them had +inspired his heart with fresh courage. It seemed too as if fortune +were on his side, for he had not reached his fastened horse, when he +distinctly heard Bertalda's plaintive voice not far distant, and +could catch her weeping accents through the ever-increasing tumult +of the thunder and tempest. He hurried swiftly in the direction of +the sound, and found the trembling girl just attempting to climb the +steep, in order to escape in any way from the dreadful gloom of the +valley. He stepped, however, lovingly in her path, and bold and +proud as her resolve had before been, she now felt only too keenly +the delight, that the friend whom she so passionately loved should +rescue her from this frightful solitude, and that the joyous life in +the castle should be again open to her. She followed almost +unresisting, but so exhausted with fatigue that the knight was glad +to have brought her to his horse, which he now hastily unfastened, +in order to lift the fair fugitive upon it; and then, cautiously +holding the reins, he hoped to proceed through the uncertain shades +of the valley. + +But the horse had become quite unmanageable from the wild apparition +of Kuhleborn. Even the knight would have had difficulty in mounting +the rearing and snorting animal, but to place the trembling Bertalda +on its back was perfectly impossible. They determined, therefore, to +return home on foot. Drawing the horse after him by the bridle, the +knight supported the tottering girl with his other hand. Bertalda +exerted all her strength to pass quickly through the fearful valley, +but weariness weighed her down like lead, and every limb trembled, +partly from the terror she had endured when Kuhleborn had pursued +her, and partly from her continued alarm at the howling of the storm +and the pealing of the thunder through the wooded mountain. + +At last she slid from the supporting arm of her protector, and +sinking down on the moss, she exclaimed: "Let me lie here, my noble +lord; I suffer the punishment due to my folly, and I must now perish +here through weariness and dread." + +"No, sweet friend, I will never leave you!" cried Huldbrand, vainly +endeavoring to restrain his furious steed; for, worse than before, +it now began to foam and rear with excitement, until at last the +knight was glad to keep the animal at a sufficient distance from the +exhausted maiden lest her fears should be increased. But scarcely +had he withdrawn a few paces with the wild steed, than she began to +call after him in the most pitiful manner, believing that he was +really going to leave her in this horrible wilderness. He was +utterly at a loss what course to take. Gladly would he have given +the excited beast its liberty and have allowed it to rush away into +the night and spend its fury, had he not feared that is this narrow +defile it might come thundering with its iron-shod hoofs over the +very spot where Bertalda lay. + +In the midst of this extreme perplexity and distress, he heard with +delight the sound of a vehicle driving slowly down the stony road +behind them. He called out for help; and a man's voice replied, +bidding him have patience, but promising assistance; and soon after, +two gray horses appeared through the bushes, and beside them the +driver in the white smock of a carter; a great white linen cloth was +next visible, covering the goods apparently contained in the wagon. +At a loud shout from their master, the obedient horses halted. The +driver then came toward the knight, and helped him in restraining +his foaming animal. + +"I see well," said he, "what ails the beast. When I first travelled +this way, my horses were no better. The fact is, there is an evil +water-spirit haunting the place, and he takes delight in this sort +of mischief. But I have learned a charm; if you will let me whisper +it in your horse's ear, he will stand at once just as quiet as my +gray beasts are doing there." + +"Try your luck then, only help us quickly!" exclaimed the impatient +knight. The wagoner then drew down the head of the rearing charger +close to his own, and whispered something in his ear. In a moment +the animal stood still and quiet, and his quick panting and reeking +condition was all that remained of his previous unmanageableness. +Huldbrand had no time to inquire how all this had been effected. He +agreed with the carter that he should take Bertalda on his wagon, +where, as the man assured him, there were a quantity of soft cotton- +bales, upon which she could be conveyed to castle Ringstetten, and +the knight was to accompany them on horseback. But the horse +appeared too much exhausted by its past fury to be able to carry its +master so far, so the carter persuaded Huldbrand to get into the +wagon with Bertalda. The horse could be fastened on behind. "We are +going down hill," said he, "and that will make it light for my gray +beasts." + +The knight accepted the offer and entered the wagon with Bertalda; +the horse followed patiently behind, and the wagoner, steady and +attentive, walked by the side. + +In the stillness of the night, as its darkness deepened and the +subsiding tempest sounded more and more remote, encouraged by the +sense of security and their fortunate escape, a confidential +conversation arose between Huldbrand and Bertalda. With flattering +words he reproached her for her daring flight; she excused herself +with humility and emotion, and from every word she said a gleam +shone forth which disclosed distinctly to the lover that the beloved +was his. The knight felt the sense of her words far more than he +regarded their meaning, and it was the sense alone to which he +replied. Presently the wagoner suddenly shouted with loud voice,-- + +"Up, my grays, up with your feet, keep together! remember who you +are!" + +The knight leaned out of the wagon and saw that the horses were +stepping into the midst of a foaming stream or were already almost +swimming, while the wheels of the wagon were rushing round and +gleaming like mill-wheels, and the wagoner had got up in front, in +consequence of the increasing waters. + +"What sort of a road is this? It goes into the middle of the +stream." cried Huldbrand to his guide. + +"Not at all, sir." returned the other, laughing, "it is just the +reverse, the stream goes into the very middle of our road. Look +round and see how everything is covered by the water." + +The whole valley indeed was suddenly filled with the surging flood, +that visibly increased. "It is Kuhleborn, the evil water-spirit, who +wishes to drown us!" exclaimed the knight. "Have you no charm, +against him, my friend?" + +"I know indeed of one," returned the wagoner, "but I cannot and may +not use it until you know who I am." + +"Is this a time for riddles?" cried the knight. "The flood is ever +rising higher, and what does it matter to me to know who you are?" + +"It does matter to you, though," said the wagoner, "for I am +Kuhleborn." + +So saying, he thrust his distorted face into the wagon with a grin, +but the wagon was a wagon no longer, the horses were not horses--all +was transformed to foam and vanished in the hissing waves, and even +the wagoner himself, rising as a gigantic billow, drew down the +vainly struggling horse beneath the waters, and then swelling higher +and higher, swept over the heads of the floating pair, like some +liquid tower, threatening to bury them irrecoverably. + +Just then the soft voice of Undine sounded through the uproar, the +moon emerged from the clouds, and by its light Undine was seen on +the heights above the valley. She rebuked, she threatened the floods +below; the menacing, tower-like wave vanished, muttering and +murmuring, the waters flowed gently away in the moonlight, and like +a white dove, Undine flew down from the height, seized the knight +and Bertalda, and bore them with her to a fresh, green, turfy spot +on the hill, where with choice refreshing restoratives, she +dispelled their terrors and weariness; then she assisted Bertalda to +mount the white palfrey, on which she had herself ridden here, and +thus all three returned back to castle Ringstetten. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +THE JOURNEY TO VIENNA. + + +After this last adventure, they lived quietly and happily at the +castle. The knight more and more perceived the heavenly goodness of +his wife, which had been so nobly exhibited by her pursuit, and by +her rescue of them in the Black Valley, where Kuhleborn's power +again commenced; Undine herself felt that peace and security, which +is never lacking to a mind so long as it is distinctly conscious of +being on the right path, and besides, in the newly-awakened love and +esteem of her husband, many a gleam of hope and joy shone upon her. +Bertalda, on the other hand, showed herself grateful, humble and +timid, without regarding her conduct as anything meritorious. +Whenever Huldbrand or Undine were about to give her any explanation +regarding the covering of the fountain or the adventure in the Black +Valley, she would earnestly entreat them to spare her the recital, +as she felt too much shame at the recollection of the fountain, and +too much fear at the remembrance of the Black Valley. She learned +therefore nothing further of either; and for what end was such +knowledge necessary? Peace and joy had visibly taken up their abode +at castle Ringstetten. They felt secure on this point, and imagined +that life could now produce nothing but pleasant flowers and fruits. + +In this happy condition of things, winter had come and passed away, +and spring, with its fresh green shoots and its blue sky, was +gladdening the joyous inmates of the castle. Spring was in harmony +with them, and they with spring. What wonder then, that its storks +and swallows inspired them also with a desire to travel? One day +when they were taking a pleasant walk to one of the sources of the +Danube, Huldbrand spoke of the magnificence of the noble river, and +how it widened as it flowed through countries fertilized by its +waters, how the charming city of Vienna shone forth on its banks, +and how with every step of its course it increased in power and +loveliness. + +"It must be glorious to go down the river as far as Vienna!" +exclaimed Bertalda, but immediately relapsing into her present +modesty and humility, she paused and blushed deeply. + +This touched Undine deeply, and with the liveliest desire to give +pleasure to her friend, she said: "What hinders us from starting on +the little voyage?" + +Bertalda exhibited the greatest delight, and both she and Undine +began at once to picture the tour of the Danube in the brightest +colors. Huldbrand also gladly agreed to the prospect; only he once +whispered anxiously in Undine's ear,-- + +"But Kuhleborn becomes possessed of his power again out there!" + +"Let him come," she replied with a smile, "I shall be there, and he +ventures upon none of his mischief before me." The last impediment +was thus removed; they prepared for the journey, and soon after set +out upon it with fresh spirits and the brightest hopes. + +But wonder not, oh man, if events always turn out different to what +we have intended. That malicious power, lurking for our destruction, +gladly lulls its chosen victim to sleep with sweet songs and golden +delusions; while on the other hand the rescuing messenger from +Heaven often knocks sharply and alarmingly at our door. + +During the first few days of their voyage down the Danube they were +extremely happy. Everything grew more and more beautiful as they +sailed further and further down the proudly flowing stream. But in a +region otherwise so pleasant, and in the enjoyment of which they had +promised themselves the purest delight, the ungovernable Kuhleborn +began, undisguisedly, to exhibit his power of interference. This was +indeed manifested in mere teasing tricks, for Undine often rebuked +the agitated waves, or the contrary winds, and then the violence of +the enemy would be immediately humbled; but again the attacks would +be renewed, and again Undine's reproofs would become necessary, so +that the pleasure of the little party was completely destroyed. The +boatmen too were continually whispering to each other in dismay, and +looking with distrust at the three strangers, whose servants even +began more and more to forebode something uncomfortable, and to +watch their superiors with suspicious glances. Huldbrand often said +to himself: "This comes from like not being linked with like, from a +man uniting himself with a mermaid!" Excusing himself as we all love +to do, he would often think indeed as he said this: "I did not +really know that she was a sea-maiden, mine is the misfortune, that +every step I take is disturbed and haunted by the wild caprices of +her race, but mine is not the fault." By thoughts such as these, he +felt himself in some measure strengthened, but on the other hand, he +felt increasing ill-humor, and almost animosity toward Undine. He +would look at her with an expression of anger, the meaning of which +the poor wife understood well. Wearied with this exhibition of +displeasure, and exhausted by the constant effort to frustrate +Kuhleborn's artifices, she sank one evening into a deep slumber, +rocked soothingly by the softly gliding bark. + +Scarcely, however, had she closed her eyes than every one in the +vessel imagined he saw, in whatever direction he turned, a most +horrible human head; it rose out of the waves, not like that of a +person swimming, but perfectly perpendicular as if invisibly +supported upright on the watery surface, and floating along in the +same course with the bark. Each wanted to point out to the other the +cause of his alarm, but each found the same expression of horror +depicted on the face of his neighbor, only that his hands and eyes +were directed to a different point where the monster, half-laughing +and half-threatening, rose before him. When, however, they all +wished to make each other understand what each saw, and all were +crying out: "Look there! No, there!" the horrible heads all at one +and the same time appeared to their view, and the whole river around +the vessel swarmed with the most hideous apparitions. The universal +cry raised at the sight awoke Undine. As she opened her eyes, the +wild crowd of distorted visages disappeared. But Huldbrand was +indignant at such unsightly jugglery. He would have burst forth in +uncontrolled imprecations had not Undine said to him with a humble +manner and a softly imploring tone: "For God's sake, my husband, we +are on the water, do not be angry with me now." + +The knight was silent, and sat down absorbed in revery. Undine +whispered in his ear: "Would it not be better, my love, if we gave +up this foolish journey, and returned to castle Ringstetten in +peace?" + +But Huldbrand murmured moodily: "So I must be a prisoner in my own +castle, and only be able to breathe so long as the fountain is +closed! I would your mad kindred"--Undine lovingly pressed her fair +hand upon his lips. He paused, pondering in silence over much that +Undine had before said to him. + +Bertalda had meanwhile given herself up to a variety of strange +thoughts. She knew a good deal of Undine's origin, and yet not the +whole, and the fearful Kuhleborn especially had remained to her a +terrible but wholly unrevealed mystery. She had indeed never even +heard his name. Musing on these strange things, she unclasped, +scarcely conscious of the act, a gold necklace, which Huldbrand had +lately purchased for her of a travelling trader; half dreamingly she +drew it along the surface of the water, enjoying the light glimmer +it cast upon the evening-tinted stream. Suddenly a huge hand was +stretched out of the Danube, it seized the necklace and vanished +with it beneath the waters. Bertalda screamed aloud, and a scornful +laugh resounded from the depths of the stream. The knight could now +restrain his anger no longer. Starting up, he inveighed against the +river; he cursed all who ventured to interfere with his family and +his life, and challenged them, be they spirits or sirens, to show +themselves before his avenging sword. + +Bertalda wept meanwhile for her lost ornament, which was so precious +to her, and her tears added fuel to the flame of the knight's anger, +while Undine held her hand over the side of the vessel, dipping it +into the water, softly murmuring to herself, and only now and then +interrupting her strange mysterious whisper, as she entreated her +husband: "My dearly loved one, do not scold me here; reprove others +if you will, but not me here. You know why!" And indeed, he +restrained the words of anger that were trembling on his tongue. +Presently in her wet hand which she had been holding under the +waves, she brought up a beautiful coral necklace of so much +brilliancy that the eyes of all were dazzled by it. + +"Take this," said she, holding it out kindly to Bertalda; "I have +ordered this to be brought for you as a compensation, and don't be +grieved any more, my poor child." + +But the knight sprang between them. He tore the beautiful ornament +from Undine's hand, hurled it again into the river, exclaiming in +passionate rage: "Have you then still a connection with them? In the +name of all the witches, remain among them with your presents, and +leave us mortals in peace, you sorceress!" + +Poor Undine gazed at him with fixed but tearful eyes, her hand still +stretched out, as when she had offered her beautiful present so +lovingly to Bertalda. She then began to weep more and more +violently, like a dear innocent child bitterly afflicted. At last, +wearied out she said: + +"Alas, sweet friend, alas! farewell! They shall do you no harm; only +remain true, so that I may be able to keep them from you. I must, +alas! go away; I must go hence at this early stage of life. Oh woe, +woe! what have you done! Oh woe, woe!" + +She vanished over the side of the vessel. Whether she plunged into +the stream, or flowed away with it, they knew not; her disappearance +was like both and neither. Soon, however, she was completely lost +sight of in the Danube; only a few little waves kept whispering, as +if sobbing, round the boat, and they almost seemed to be saying: "Oh +woe, woe! oh remain true! oh woe!" + +Huldbrand lay on the deck of the vessel, bathed in hot tears, and a +deep swoon soon cast its veil of forgetfulness over the unhappy man. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +HOW IT FARED FURTHER WITH HULDBRAND. + + +Shall we say it is well or ill, that our sorrow is of such short +duration? I mean that deep sorrow which affects the very well-spring +of our life, which becomes so one with the lost objects of our love +that they are no longer lost, and which enshrines their image as a +sacred treasure, until that final goal is reached which they have +reached before us! It is true that many men really maintain these +sacred memories, but their feeling is no longer that of the first +deep grief. Other and new images have thronged between; we learn at +length the transitoriness of all earthly things, even to our grief, +and, therefore. I must say "Alas, that our sorrow should be of such +short duration?" + +The lord of Ringstetten experienced this whether for his good, we +shall hear in the sequel to this history. At first he could do +nothing but weep, and that as bitterly as the poor gentle Undine had +wept when he had torn from her hand that brilliant ornament with +which she had wished to set everything to rights. And then he would +stretch out his hand, as she had done, and would weep again, like +her. He cherished the secret hope that he might at length dissolve +in tears; and has not a similar hope passed before the mind of many +a one of us, with painful pleasure, in moments of great affliction? +Bertalda wept also, and they lived a long while quietly together at +Castle Ringstetten, cherishing Undine's memory, and almost wholly +forgetful of their former attachment to each other. And, therefore, +the good Undine often visited Huldbrand in his dreams; caressing him +tenderly and kindly, and then going away, weeping silently, so that +when he awoke he often scarcely knew why his cheeks were so wet; +whether they had been bathed with her tears, or merely with his own? + +These dream-visions became, however, less frequent as time passed +on, and the grief of the knight was less acute; still he would +probably have cherished no other wish than thus to think calmly of +Undine and to talk of her, had not the old fisherman appeared one +day unexpectedly at the castle, and sternly insisted on Bertalda's +returning with him as his child. The news of Undine's disappearance +had reached him, and he had determined on no longer allowing +Bertalda to reside at the castle with the widowed knight. + +"For," said he, "whether my daughter love me or no, I do not care to +know, but her honor is at stake, and where that is concerned, +nothing else is to be thought of." + +This idea of the old fisherman's, and the solitude which threatened +to overwhelm the knight in all the halls and galleries of the +desolate castle, after Bertalda's departure, brought out the +feelings that had slumbered till now and which had been wholly +forgotten in his sorrow for Undine; namely, Huldbrand's affection +for the beautiful Bertalda. The fisherman had many objections to +raise against the proposed marriage. Undine had been very dear to +the old fisherman, and he felt that no one really knew for certain +whether the dear lost one were actually dead. And if her body were +truly lying cold and stiff at the bottom of the Danube, or had +floated away with the current into the ocean, even then Bertalda was +in some measure to blame for her death, and it was unfitting for her +to step into the place of the poor supplanted one. Yet the fisherman +had a strong regard for the knight also; and the entreaties of his +daughter, who had become much more gentle and submissive, and her +tears for Undine, turned the scale, and he must at length have given +his consent, for he remained at the castle without objection, and a +messenger was despatched to Father Heilmann, who had united Undine +and Huldbrand in happy days gone by, to bring him to the castle for +the second nuptials of the knight. + +The holy man, however, had scarcely read the letter from the knight +of Ringstetten, than he set out on his journey to the castle, with +far greater expedition than even the messenger had used in going to +him. Whenever his breath failed in his rapid progress, or his aged +limbs ached with weariness, he would say to himself: "Perhaps the +evil may yet be prevented; fail not, my tottering frame, till you +have reached the goal!" And with renewed power he would then press +forward, and go on and on without rest or repose, until late one +evening he entered the shady court-yard of castle Ringstetten. + +The betrothed pair were sitting side by side under the trees, and +the old fisherman was near them, absorbed in thought. The moment +they recognized Father Heilmann, they sprang up, and pressed round +him with warm welcome. But he, without making much reply, begged +Huldbrand to go with him into the castle; and when the latter looked +astonished, and hesitated to obey the grave summons, the reverend +father said to him:-- + +"Why should I make any delay in wishing to speak to you in private, +Herr von Ringstetten? What I have to say concerns Bertalda and the +fisherman as much as yourself, and what a man has to hear, he may +prefer to hear as soon as possible. Are you then so perfectly +certain, Knight Huldbrand, that your first wife is really dead? It +scarcely seems so to me. I will not indeed say anything of the +mysterious condition in which she may be existing, and I know, too, +nothing of it with certainty. But she was a pious and faithful wife, +that is beyond all doubt; and for a fortnight past she has stood at +my bedside at night in my dreams, wringing her tender hands in +anguish and sighing out: 'Oh, prevent him, good father! I am still +living! oh, save his life! save his soul!' I did not understand what +this nightly vision signified; when presently your messenger came, +and I hurried thither, not to unite, but to separate, what ought not +to be joined together. Leave her, Huldbrand! Leave him, Bertalda! He +yet belongs to another; and do you not see grief for his lost wife +still written on his pale cheek? No bridegroom looks thus, and a +voice tells me that if you do not leave him, you will never be +happy." + +The three listeners felt in their innermost heart that Father +Heilmann spoke the truth, but they would not believe it. Even the +old fisherman was now so infatuated that he thought it could not be +otherwise than they had settled it in their discussions during the +last few days. They therefore all opposed the warnings of the priest +with a wild and gloomy rashness, until at length the holy father +quitted the castle with a sad heart, refusing to accept even for a +single night the shelter offered, or to enjoy the refreshments +brought him. Huldbrand, however, persuaded himself that the priest +was full of whims and fancies, and with dawn of day he sent for a +father from the nearest monastery, who, without hesitation, promised +to perform the ceremony in a few days. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +THE KNIGHT'S DREAM. + + +It was between night and dawn of day that the knight was lying on +his couch, half-waking, half-sleeping. Whenever he was on the point +of falling asleep a terror seemed to come upon him and scare his +rest away, for his slumbers were haunted with spectres. If he tried, +however, to rouse himself in good earnest he felt fanned as by the +wings of a swan, and he heard the soft murmuring of waters, until +soothed by the agreeable delusion, he sunk back again into a half- +conscious state. At length he must have fallen sound asleep, for it +seemed to him as if he were lifted up upon the fluttering wings of +the swans and borne by them far over land and sea, while they sang +to him their sweetest music. "The music of the swan! the music of +the swan!" he kept saying to himself; "does it not always portend +death?" But it had yet another meaning. All at once he felt as if he +were hovering over the Mediterranean Sea. A swan was singing +musically in his ear that this was the Mediterranean Sea. And while +he was looking down upon the waters below they became clear as +crystal, so that he could see through them to the bottom. He was +delighted at this, for he could see Undine sitting beneath the +crystal arch. It is true she was weeping bitterly, and looking much +sadder than in the happy days when they had lived together at the +castle of Ringstetten, especially at their commencement, and +afterward also, shortly before they had begun their unhappy Danube +excursion. The knight could not help thinking upon all this very +fully and deeply, but it did not seem as if Undine perceived him. + +Meanwhile Kuhleborn had approached her, and was on the point of +reproving her for her weeping. But she drew herself up, and looked +at him with such a noble and commanding air that he almost shrunk +back with fear. "Although I live here beneath the waters," said she, +"I have yet brought down my soul with me; and therefore I may well +weep, although you can not divine what such tears are. They too are +blessed, for everything is blessed to him in whom a true soul +dwells." + +He shook his head incredulously, and said, after some reflection: +"And yet, niece, you are subject to the laws of our element, and if +he marries again and is unfaithful to you, you are in duty bound to +take away his life." + +"He is a widower to this very hour," replied Undine, "and his sad +heart still holds me dear." + +"He is, however, at the same time betrothed," laughed Kuhleborn, +with scorn; "and let only a few days pass, and the priest will have +given the nuptial blessing, and then you will have to go upon earth +to accomplish the death of him who has taken another to wife." + +"That I cannot do," laughed Undine in return; "I have sealed up the +fountain securely against myself and my race." + +"But suppose he should leave his castle," said Kuhleborn, "or should +have the fountain opened again! for he thinks little enough of these +things." + +"It is just for that reason," said Undine, still smiling amid her +tears, "it is just for that reason, that he is now hovering in +spirit over the Mediterranean Sea, and is dreaming of this +conversation of ours as a warning. I have intentionally arranged it +so." + +Kuhleborn, furious with rage, looked up at the knight, threatened, +stamped with his feet, and then swift as an arrow shot under the +waves. It seemed as if he were swelling in his fury to the size of a +whale. Again the swans began to sing, to flap their wings, and to +fly. It seemed to the knight as if he were soaring away over +mountains and streams, and that he at length reached the castle +Ringstetten, and awoke on his couch. + +He did, in reality, awake upon his couch, and his squire coming in +at that moment informed him that Father Heilmann was still lingering +in the neighborhood; that he had met him the night before in the +forest, in a hut which he had formed for himself of the branches of +trees, and covered with moss and brushwood. To the question what he +was doing here, since he would not give the nuptial blessing, he had +answered: "There are other blessings besides those at the nuptial +altar, and though I have not gone to the wedding, it may be that I +shall be at another solemn ceremony. We must be ready for all +things. Besides, marrying and mourning are not so unlike, and every +one not wilfully blinded must see that well." + +The knight placed various strange constructions upon these words, +and upon his dream, but it is very difficult to break off a thing +which a man has once regarded as certain, and so everything remained +as it had been arranged. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND IS MARRIED. + + +If I were to tell you how the marriage-feast passed at castle +Ringstetten, it would seem to you as if you saw a heap of bright and +pleasant things, but a gloomy veil of mourning spread over them all, +the dark hue of which would make the splendor of the whole look less +like happiness than a mockery of the emptiness of all earthly joys. +It was not that any spectral apparitions disturbed the festive +company, for we know that the castle had been secured from the +mischief of the threatening water-spirits. But the knight and the +fisherman and all the guests felt as if the chief personage were +still lacking at the feast, and that this chief personage could be +none other than the loved and gentle Undine. Whenever a door opened, +the eyes of all were involuntarily turned in that direction, and if +it was nothing but the butler with new dishes, or the cup-bearer +with a flask of still richer wine, they would look down again sadly, +and the flashes of wit and merriment which had passed to and fro, +would be extinguished by sad remembrances. The bride was the most +thoughtless of all, and therefore the most happy; but even to her it +sometimes seemed strange that she should be sitting at the head of +the table, wearing a green wreath and gold-embroidered attire, while +Undine was lying at the bottom of the Danube, a cold and stiff +corpse, or floating away with the current into the mighty ocean. +For, ever since her father had spoken of something of the sort, his +words were ever ringing in her ear, and this day especially they +were not inclined to give place to other thoughts. + +The company dispersed early in the evening, not broken up by the +bridegroom himself, but sadly and gloomily by the joyless mood of +the guests and their forebodings of evil. Bertalda retired with her +maidens, and the knight with his attendants; but at this mournful +festival there was no gay, laughing train of bridesmaids and +bridesmen. + +Bertalda wished to arouse more cheerful thoughts; she ordered a +splendid ornament of jewels which Huldbrand had given her, together +with rich apparel and veils, to be spread out before her, in order +that from these latter she might select the brightest and most +beautiful for her morning attire. Her attendants were delighted at +the opportunity of expressing their good wishes to their young +mistress, not failing at the same time to extol the beauty of the +bride in the most lively terms. They were more and more absorbed in +these considerations, till Bertalda at length, looking in a mirror, +said with a sigh: "Ah, but don't you see plainly how freckled I am +growing here at the side of my neck?" + +They looked at her throat, and found the freckles as their fair +mistress had said, but they called them beauty-spots, and mere tiny +blemishes only, tending to enhance the whiteness of her delicate +skin. Bertalda shook her head and asserted that a spot was always a +defect. + +"And I could remove them," she sighed a last, "only the fountain is +closed from which I used to have that precious and purifying water. +Oh! if I had but a flask of it to-day!" + +"Is that all?" said an alert waiting-maid, laughing, as she slipped +from the apartment. + +"She will not be mad," exclaimed Bertalda, in a pleased and +surprised tone, "she will not be so mad as to have the stone removed +from the fountain this very evening!" At the same moment they heard +the men crossing the courtyard, and could see from the window how +the officious waiting-woman was leading them straight up to the +fountain, and that they were carrying levers and other instruments +on their shoulders. "It is certainly my will," said Bertalda, +smiling, "if only it does not take too long." And, happy in the +sense that a look from her now was able to effect what had formerly +been so painfully refused her, she watched the progress of the work +in the moonlit castle-court. + +The men raised the enormous stone with an effort; now and then +indeed one of their number would sigh, as he remembered that they +were destroying the work of their former beloved mistress. But the +labor was far lighter than they had imagined. It seemed as if a +power within the spring itself were aiding them in raising the +stone. + +"It is just," said the workmen to each other in astonishment, "as if +the water within had become a springing fountain." And the stone +rose higher and higher, and almost without the assistance of the +workmen, it rolled slowly down upon the pavement with a hollow +sound. But from the opening of the fountain there rose solemnly a +white column of water; at first they imagined it had really become a +springing fountain, till they perceived that the rising form was a +pale female figure veiled in white. She was weeping bitterly, +raising her hands wailingly above her head and wringing them, as she +walked with a slow and serious step to the castle-building. The +servants fled from the spring; the bride, pale and stiff with +horror, stood at the window with her attendants. When the figure had +now come close beneath her room, it looked moaningly up to her, and +Bertalda thought she could recognize beneath the veil the pale +features of Undine. But the sorrowing form passed on, sad, +reluctant, and faltering, as if passing to execution. + +Bertalda screamed out that the knight was to be called, but none of +her maids ventured from the spot; and even the bride herself became +mute, as if trembling at her own voice. + +While they were still standing fearfully at the window, motionless +as statues, the strange wanderer had reached the castle, had passed +up the well-known stairs, and through the well-known halls, ever in +silent tears. Alas! how differently had she once wandered through +them! + +The knight, partly undressed, had already dismissed his attendants, +and in a mood of deep dejection he was standing before a large +mirror; a taper was burning dimly beside him. There was a gentle tap +at his door. Undine used to tap thus when she wanted playfully to +tease him "It is all fancy," said he to himself; "I must seek my +nuptial bed." + +"So you must, but it must be a cold one!" he heard a tearful voice +say from without, and then he saw in the mirror his door opening +slowly--slowly--and the white figure entered, carefully closing it +behind her. "They have opened the spring," said she softly, "and now +I am here, and you must die." + +He felt in his paralyzed heart that it could not be otherwise, but +covering his eyes with his hands he said: "Do not make me mad with +terror in my hour of death. If you wear a hideous face behind that +veil, do not raise it, but take my life, and let me see you not." + +"Alas!" replied the figure, "will you then not look upon me once +more? I am as fair as when you wooed me on the promontory." + +"Oh, if it were so!" sighed Huldbrand, "and if I might die in your +fond embrace!" + +"Most gladly, my loved one," said she; and throwing her veil back, +her lovely face smiled forth divinely beautiful. Trembling with love +and with the approach of death, she kissed him with a holy kiss; but +not relaxing her hold she pressed him fervently to her, and as if +she would weep away her soul. Tears rushed into the knight's eyes, +and seemed to surge through his heaving breast, till at length his +breathing ceased, and he fell softly back from the beautiful arms of +Undine, upon the pillows of his couch--a corpse. + +"I have wept him to death," said she to some servants who met her in +the ante-chamber; and, passing through the affrighted group, she +went slowly out toward the fountain. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +HOW THE KNIGHT HULDBRAND WAS BURIED. + + +Father Heilmann had returned to the castle as soon as the death of +the lord of Ringstetten had been made known in the neighborhood, and +he appeared at the very same moment that the monk who had married +the unfortunate couple was fleeing from the gates overwhelmed with +fear and terror. + +"It is well," replied Heilmann, when he was informed of this; "now +my duties begin, and I need no associate." + +Upon this he began to console the bride, now a widow, small result +as it produced upon her worldly thoughtless mind. The old fisherman, +on the other hand, although heartily grieved, was far more resigned +to the fate which had befallen his daughter and son-in-law, and +while Bertalda could not refrain from abusing Undine as a murderess +and sorceress, the old man calmly said: "It could not be otherwise +after all; I see nothing in it but the judgment of God, and no one's +heart has been more deeply grieved by Huldbrand's death than that of +her by whom it was inflicted--the poor forsaken Undine!" + +At the same time he assisted in arranging the funeral solemnities as +befitted the rank of the deceased. + +The knight was to be interred in the village churchyard which was +filled with the graves of his ancestors. And this church had been +endowed with rich privileges and gifts both by these ancestors and +by himself. His shield and helmet lay already on the coffin, to be +lowered with it into the grave, for Sir Huldbrand, of Ringstetten, +had died the last of his race; the mourners began their sorrowful +march, singing requiems under the bright, calm canopy of heaven; +Father Heilmann walked in advance, bearing a high crucifix, and the +inconsolable Bertalda followed, supported by her aged father. +Suddenly, in the midst of the black-robed attendants in the widow's +train, a snow-white figure was seen, closely veiled, and wringing +her hands with fervent sorrow. Those near whom she moved felt a +secret dread, and retreated either backward or to the side, +increasing by their movements the alarm of the others near to whom +the white stranger was now advancing, and thus a confusion in the +funeral-train was well-nigh beginning. Some of the military escort +were so daring as to address the figure, and to attempt to remove it +from the procession; but she seemed to vanish from under their +hands, and yet was immediately seen advancing again amid the dismal +cortege with slow and solemn step. At length, in consequence of the +continued shrinking of the attendants to the right and to the left, +she came close behind Bertalda. The figure now moved so slowly that +the widow did not perceive it, and it walked meekly and humbly +behind her undisturbed. + +This lasted till they came to the churchyard, where the procession +formed a circle round the open grave. Then Bertalda saw her unbidden +companion, and starting up half in anger and half in terror, she +commanded her to leave the knight's last resting-place. The veiled +figure, however, gently shook her head in refusal, and raised her +hands as if in humble supplication to Bertalda, deeply agitating her +by the action, and recalling to her with tears how Undine had so +kindly wished to give her that coral necklace on the Danube. Father +Heilmann motioned with his hand and commanded silence, as they were +to pray in mute devotion over the body, which they were now covering +with the earth. Bertalda knelt silently, and all knelt, even the +grave-diggers among the rest, when they had finished their task. But +when they rose again, the white stranger had vanished; on the spot +where she had knelt there gushed out of the turf a little silver +spring, which rippled and murmured away till it had almost entirely +encircled the knight's grave; then it ran further and emptied itself +into a lake which lay by the side of the burial-place. Even to this +day the inhabitants of the village show the spring, and cherish the +belief that it is the poor rejected Undine, who in this manner still +embraces her husband in her loving arms. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg Etext of Undine, by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque + diff --git a/old/ndine10a.zip b/old/ndine10a.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..44f43c3 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/ndine10a.zip |