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Page 34
"When the disturber of our peace would not be dismissed with words, I
was obliged to shut the door upon him; and the only entrance by which
he has access to us is that fountain. His connection with the other
water-spirits here in this region is cut off by the valleys that
border upon us; and his kingdom first commences farther off on the
Danube, in whose tributary streams some of his good friends have
their abode. For this reason I caused the stone to be placed over
the opening of the fountain, and inscribed characters upon it, which
baffle all the efforts of my suspicious uncle; so that he now has no
power of intruding either upon you or me, or Bertalda. Human beings,
it is true, notwithstanding the characters I have inscribed there,
are able to raise the stone without any extraordinary trouble; there
is nothing to prevent them. If you choose, therefore, remove it,
according to Bertalda's desire; but she assuredly knows not what she
asks. The rude Kuhleborn looks with peculiar ill-will upon her; and
should those things come to pass that he has predicted to me, and
which may happen without your meaning any evil, ah! dearest, even you
yourself would be exposed to peril."
Huldbrand felt the generosity of his gentle wife in the depth of his
heart, since she had been so active in confining her formidable
defender, and even at the very moment she was reproached for it by
Bertalda. He pressed her in his arms with the tenderest affection,
and said with emotion:
"The stone shall remain unmoved; all remains, and ever shall remain,
just as you choose to have it, my sweetest Undine!"
At these long-withheld expressions of tenderness, she returned his
caresses with lowly delight, and at length said:
"My dearest husband, since you are so kind and indulgent to-day, may
I venture to ask a favour of you? See now, it is with you as with
summer. Even amid its highest splendour, summer puts on the flaming
and thundering crown of glorious tempests, in which it strongly
resembles a king and god on earth. You, too, are sometimes terrible
in your rebukes; your eyes flash lightning, while thunder resounds in
your voice; and although this may be quite becoming to you, I in my
folly cannot but sometimes weep at it. But never, I entreat you,
behave thus toward me on a river, or even when we are near any water.
For if you should, my relations would acquire a right over me. They
would inexorably tear me from you in their fury, because they would
conceive that one of their race was injured; and I should be
compelled, as long as I lived, to dwell below in the crystal palaces,
and never dare to ascend to you again; or should THEY SEND me up to
you!--O God! that would be far worse still. No, no, my beloved
husband; let it not come to that, if your poor Undine is dear to
you."
He solemnly promised to do as she desired, and, inexpressibly happy
and full of affection, the married pair returned from the apartment.
At this very moment Bertalda came with some work-people whom she had
meanwhile ordered to attend her, and said with a fretful air, which
she had assumed of late:
"Well, now the secret consultation is at an end, the stone may be
removed. Go out, workmen, and see to it."
The knight, however, highly resenting her impertinence, said, in
brief and very decisive terms: "The stone remains where it is!" He
reproved Bertalda also for the vehemence that she had shown towards
his wife. Whereupon the workmen, smiling with secret satisfaction,
withdrew; while Bertalda, pale with rage, hurried away to her room.
When the hour of supper came, Bertalda was waited for in vain. They
sent for her; but the domestic found her apartments empty, and
brought back with him only a sealed letter, addressed to the knight.
He opened it in alarm, and read:
"I feel with shame that I am only the daughter of a poor fisherman.
That I for one moment forgot this, I will make expiation in the
miserable hut of my parents. Farewell to you and your beautiful
wife!"
Undine was troubled at heart. With eagerness she entreated Huldbrand
to hasten after their friend, who had flown, and bring her back with
him. Alas! she had no occasion to urge him. His passion for
Bertalda again burst forth with vehemence. He hurried round the
castle, inquiring whether any one had seen which way the fair
fugitive had gone. He could gain no information; and was already in
the court on his horse, determining to take at a venture the road by
which he had conducted Bertalda to the castle, when there appeared a
page, who assured him that he had met the lady on the path to the
Black Valley. Swift as an arrow, the knight sprang through the gate
in the direction pointed out, without hearing Undine's voice of
agony, as she cried after him from the window:
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