UNDINE. 33
upon tbe stormy night, they perceived an aged priest without, who stepped back in terror, when his eye fell on the unexpected sight of a little damsel of such exqui- site beauty. Well might he think there must be magic in the wind, and witchcraft at work, when a form of such surpassing loveliness ajipeared at the door of so humble a dwelling. So he lifted up his voice in })rayer:
" Let all good spirits praise the Lord God I"
" I am no spectre," said Undine, with a smile. " Do I look so very frightful ? And you see that I do not shrink from holy words. I too have knowledge of God, and un- derstand the duty of praising bim ; every one, to be sure, has his own way of doing this, for so He has created us. Come in, father ; you will find none but worthy people here."
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 urL,ing it ujjon him till she saw him fairly in possession of it. " You are old and ex- hausted," 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 Huld- brand, and shewed herself most gentle and amiable towards
- he old man. Huldbrand whispered some raillery in her
ear, but she replied gravely ;
