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Page 20
"Not so! my parents by no means sent me into the world so perfectly
destitute; on the contrary, they foresaw, even at that early period,
that such a night as this would come."
Thus speaking she went out of the room, and a moment after returned
with two costly rings, of which she gave one to her bridegroom, and
kept the other for herself. The old fisherman was beyond measure
astonished at this; and his wife, who was just re-entering the room,
was even more surprised than he, that neither of them had ever seen
these jewels in the child's possession.
"My parents," said Undine, "sewed these trinkets to that beautiful
raiment which I wore the very day I came to you. They also charged
me on no account whatever to mention them to any one before my
wedding evening. At the time of my coming, therefore, I took them
off in secret, and have kept them concealed to the present hour."
The priest now cut short all further questioning and wondering, while
he lighted the consecrated tapers, placed them on a table, and
ordered the bridal pair to stand opposite to him. He then pronounced
the few solemn words of the ceremony, and made them one. The elder
couple gave the younger their blessing; and the bride, gently
trembling and thoughtful, leaned upon the knight.
The priest then spoke out: "You are strange people, after all; for
why did you tell me that you were the only inhabitants of the island?
So far is this from being true, I have seen, the whole time I was
performing the ceremony, a tall, stately man, in a white mantle,
standing opposite to me, looking in at the window. He must be still
waiting before the door, if peradventure you would invite him to come
in."
"God forbid!" cried the old lady, shrinking back; the fisherman shook
his head, without opening his lips; and Huldbrand sprang to the
window. It seemed to him that he could still discern a white streak,
which soon disappeared in the gloom. He convinced the priest that he
must have been mistaken in his impression; and they all sat down
together round a bright and comfortable hearth.
CHAPTER 4
Before the nuptial ceremony, and during its performance, Undine had
shown a modest gentleness and maidenly reserve; but it now seemed as
if all the wayward freaks that effervesced within her burst forth
with an extravagance only the more bold and unrestrained. She teased
her bridegroom, her foster-parents, and even the priest, whom she had
just now revered so highly, with all sorts of childish tricks; but
when the ancient dame was about to reprove her too frolicsome spirit,
the knight, in a few words, imposed silence upon her by speaking of
Undine as his wife.
The knight was himself, indeed, just as little pleased with Undine's
childish behaviour as the rest; but all his looks and half-
reproachful words were to no purpose. It is true, whenever the bride
observed the dissatisfaction of her husband--and this occasionally
happened--she became more quiet, placed herself beside him, stroked
his face with caressing fondness, whispered something smilingly in
his ear, and in this manner smoothed the wrinkles that were gathering
on his brow. But the moment after, some wild whim would make her
resume her antic movements; and all went worse than before.
The priest then spoke in a kind although serious tone: "My fair young
maiden, surely no one can look on you without pleasure; but remember
betimes so to attune your soul that it may produce a harmony ever in
accordance with the soul of your wedded bridegroom."
"SOUL!" cried Undine with a laugh. "What you say has a remarkably
pretty sound; and for most people, too, it may be a very instructive
and profitable caution. But when a person has no soul at all, how, I
pray you, can such attuning be then possible? And this, in truth, is
just my condition."
The priest was much hurt, but continued silent in holy displeasure,
and turned away his face from the maiden in sorrow. She, however,
went up to him with the most winning sweetness, and said:
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