drawn down into the river. And the little waves lapped against the
boat and seemed to sob as they whispered, 'Alas, alas!'

No sooner had the knight spoken than he knew what he had done. He had
lost his wife, his beautiful fair-souled Undine. He lay on the deck
stretching out empty arms, shedding bitter tears, until at length his
misery made the strong man swoon.

[Illustration: The little waves seemed to sob as they whispered,
'Alas! alas!']




CHAPTER XV

HULDBRAND AND BERTALDA


When he recovered, the knight of Ringstetten went back to his castle
with Bertalda. So bitterly did he mourn the loss of his gentle wife,
that at length he began to believe that he would never cease to weep
for her. Bertalda wept by his side, and for a long time they lived
quietly together, thinking and talking of none save the beautiful
Undine.

But as the months passed by, Huldbrand began to think a little less
and yet a little less of his beautiful lost wife.

Now about this time the old fisherman appeared at the castle. He had