come to tell the knight that it was time that his daughter Bertalda
should come to live with him in his lonely cottage by the lake.

Then the knight began to think how strange and silent it would be in
the castle if Bertalda left him. The more he thought about it the
more he disliked the thought of being left alone.

At length he spoke to the fisherman and begged him not to take
Bertalda away. 'Let her stay with me and be my wife,' said the knight.

And in time the fisherman yielded to the wishes of the knight, and the
wedding-day was fixed.

Then a letter was sent to Father Heilman, begging him to come without
delay to the castle that he might perform the wedding-rite between the
knight and the lady Bertalda. Now Father Heilman was the very priest
who had wedded Huldbrand to Undine in the cottage by the lake.

When the priest had read Huldbrand's letter he hastened at once to the
castle.

Huldbrand and Bertalda were sitting side by side under the trees, the
fisherman near them, when they saw the priest enter the court.

They all rose eagerly to welcome him, but Father Heilman began to
speak without delay.

'Sir Knight, I have come with as great haste as my old limbs would
carry me to tell you that I do not believe the beautiful Undine is
dead. Last night and for many nights before, she was with me in my