UNDINE. 29
ter; she is, in all probability, a native of some remote region, and a member of some illustrious family."
There was one thing, indeed, to which he had a strong aversion : this was, to hear the old dame reproving Undine. The wild girl, it is true, commonly laughed at the reproof, making no attempt to conceal the extrava- gance of her mirth ; but it appeared to him like touching his own honour ; and still he found it impossible to blame the aged wife of the fisherman, since Undine always de- served at least ten times as many reproofs as she re- ceived : so he continued to feel in his heart an affectionate tenderness for the ancient mistress of the house, and his whole life flowed on in the calm stream of contentment.
There came, however, an interruption at last. The fisherman and the knight had been accustomed at dinner, and also in the evening when the wind roared without, as it rarely failed to do towards night, to enjoy together a flask of wine. But now their whole stock, which the fisher- man had from time to time brought with him from the city, was at last exhausted, and they were both quite out of humour at the circumstance. That day Undine laughed at them excessively, but they were not disposed to join in her jests with the same gaiety as usual. Toward evening she went out of the cottage, to escape, as she said, the sight of two such long and tiresome faces.
While it was yet twilight, some appearances of a tem- pest seemed to be again mustering in the sky, and the waves already heaved and roared around them : the knight and the fisherman sprang to the door in terror, to bring home the maiden, remembering the anguish of that night when Huldbrand had first entered the cottage. But Undine met them at the same moment, clapping her little hands in high glee.
" What will you give me," she cried, " to provide you with wine? or rather, you need not give me any thing," she continued ; " for I am already satisfied, if you look more cheerful, and are in better spirits, than throughout
