The holy man came bowing in, and cast round a glance of scrutiny,
wearing at the same time a very placid and venerable air. But water
was dropping from every fold of his dark garments, from his long
white beard and the white locks of his hair. The fisherman and the
knight took him to another apartment, and furnished him with a change
of raiment, while they gave his own clothes to the women to dry. The
aged stranger thanked them in a manner the most humble and courteous;
but on the knight's offering him his splendid cloak to wrap round
him, he could not be persuaded to take it, but chose instead an old
grey coat that belonged to the fisherman.

They then returned to the common apartment. The mistress of the
house immediately offered her great chair to the priest, and
continued urging it upon him till she saw him fairly in possession of
it. "You are old and exhausted," said she, "and are, moreover, a man
of God."

Undine shoved under the stranger's feet her little stool, on which at
all other times she used to sit near to Huldbrand, and showed herself
most gentle and amiable towards the old man. Huldbrand whispered
some raillery in her ear, but she replied, gravely:

"He is a minister of that Being who created us all; and holy things
are not to be treated with lightness."

The knight and the fisherman now refreshed the priest with food and
wine; and when he had somewhat recovered his strength and spirits, he
began to relate how he had the day before set out from his cloister,
which was situated far off beyond the great lake, in order to visit
the bishop, and acquaint him with the distress into which the