'It matters not if Bertalda should hear,' said the knight, and he did
not hide the impatience that he felt.

'I will tell you in her presence if you so desire,' said Undine, 'but
I beseech you, desire it not.'

As the knight looked into her pleading face and let her sweet voice
steal into his heart, he grew ashamed of himself. How could he ever be
unkind to so fair, so good a wife!

Thinking thus Huldbrand did not speak, but he drew Undine gently from
the room, that she might speak to him alone as she wished to do.

'Ah, now I can tell you,' said Undine, and she smiled in her content.
'You know that Kühleborn, my uncle, has begun to haunt the castle. I
send him away in my displeasure, yet again and again he returns. Now I
have shut the door by which he comes, and here he will disturb our
peace no more. It is true that the stone can easily be raised by
strong men, in spite of the letters which I wrote upon it. If you wish
to do as Bertalda demands, remove the stone, yet do I warn you that
Kühleborn may well harm the maiden, for against her he bears more
ill-will than he does against others.'

Once more, as Huldbrand listened to his wife, he was ashamed. So
gentle was she, so kind to the haughty maiden who but mocked at her
for all her love. Peerless indeed was the soul of his beautiful wife,
and once again love for her sprang up within his heart.

'The stone shall not be removed, nor shall anything that you order be