husband, had already gone to rest. The old man blew up the coals,
put on dry wood, and by the firelight hunted for a flask of wine,
which he brought and set between himself and his guest.

"You, sir knight, as well as I," said he, "are anxious on the silly
girl's account; and it would be better, I think, to spend part of the
night in chatting and drinking, than keep turning and turning on our
rush-mats, and trying in vain to sleep. What is your opinion?"

Huldbrand was well pleased with the plan; the fisherman pressed him
to take the empty seat of honour, its late occupant having now left
it for her couch; and they relished their beverage and enjoyed their
chat as two such good men and true ever ought to do. To be sure,
whenever the slightest thing moved before the windows, or at times
when even nothing was moving, one of them would look up and exclaim,
"Here she comes!" Then would they continue silent a few moments, and
afterward, when nothing appeared, would shake their heads, breathe
out a sigh, and go on with their talk.

But, as neither could think of anything but Undine, the best plan
they could devise was, that the old fisherman should relate, and the
knight should hear, in what manner Undine had come to the cottage.
So the fisherman began as follows:

"It is now about fifteen years since I one day crossed the wild
forest with fish for the city market. My wife had remained at home
as she was wont to do; and at this time for a reason of more than
common interest, for although we were beginning to feel the advances
of age, God had bestowed upon us an infant of wonderful beauty. It
was a little girl; and we already began to ask ourselves the