After having been much driven to and fro in the world, you have perhaps, my dear reader, reached at length some spot where all was well with thee；where the love for home and its calm peace, innate to all, has again sprung up within thee；where thou hast thought that this home was rich with all the flowers of childhood and of the purest, deepest love that rests upon the graves of those that are gone, and thou hast felt it must be good to dwell here and to build habitations. Even if thou hast erred in this, and hast had afterward bitterly to atone for the error, that is nothing to the purpose now, and thou wouldst not, indeed, voluntarily sadden thyself with the unpleasant recollection.But recall that inexpressibly sweet foreboding, that angelic sense of peace, and thou wilt know somewhat of the knight Huldbrand's feelings during his abode on the little promontory.
He often perceived with hearty satisfaction that the forest stream rolled along every day more wildly, making its bed ever broader and broader, and prolonging his sojourn on the island to an indefnite period. Part of the day he rambled about with an old cross-bow, which he had found in a corner of the cottage and had repaired；and, watching for the water-fowl, he killed all that he could for the cottage kitchen.When he brought his booty home, Undine rarely neglected to upbraid him with having so cruelly deprived the happy birds of life；indeed she often wept bitterly at the sight he placed before her.But if he came home another time without having shot anything she scolded him no less seriously, since now, from his carelessness and want of skill, they had to be satisfied with living on fsh.He always delighted heartily in her graceful little scoldings, all the more as she generally strove to compensate for her ill-humor by the sweetest caresses.The old people took pleasure in the intimacy of the young pair；they regarded them as betrothed, or even as already united in marriage, and living on this isolated spot, as a succor and support to them in their old age.It was this same sense of seclusion that suggested the idea also to Huldbrand's mind that he was already Undine's accepted one.He felt as if there were no world beyond these surrounding waters, or as if he could never recross them to mingle with other men；and when at times his grazing horse would neigh as if inquiringly to remind him of knightly deeds, or when the coat of arms on his embroidered saddle and horse-gear shone sternly upon him, or when his beautiful sword would suddenly fall from the nail on which it was hanging in the cottage, gliding from the scabbard as it fell, he would quiet the doubts of his mind by saving：“Undine is no fisherman's daughter；she belongs in all probability to some illustrious family abroad.”
There was only one thing to which he had a strong aversion, and this was, when the old dame reproved Undine in his presence. The wayward girl, it is true, laughed at it for the most part, withoutattempting to conceal her mirth；but it seemed to him as if his honor were concerned, and yet he could not blame the old fisherman's wife, for Undine always deserved at least ten times as many reproofs as she received；so, in his heart he felt the balance in favor of the old woman, and his whole life fowed onward in calm enjoyment.
There came, however, an interruption at last. The fsherman and the knight had been accustomed at their mid-day meal, and also in the evening when the wind roared without, as it was always wont to do toward night, to enjoy together a fask of wine.But now the store which the fsherman had from time to time brought with him from the town, was exhausted, and the two men were quite out of humor in consequence.
Undine laughed at them excessively all day, but they were neither of them merry enough to join in her jests as usual. Toward evening she went out of the cottage to avoid, as she said, two such long and tiresome faces.As twilight advanced, there were again tokens of a storm, and the water rushed and roared.Full of alarm, the knight and the fsherman sprang to the door, to bring home the girl, remembering the anxiety of that night when Huldbrand had frst come to the cottage.Undine, however, met them, clapping her little hands with delight.
“What will you give me,”she said,“to provide you with wine?”or rather,“you need not give me anything,”she continued,“for I am satisfied if you will look merrier and be in better spirits than you have been throughout this whole wearisome day. Only come with me；the forest stream has driven ashore a cask, and I will be condemned to sleep through a whole week if it is not a wine-cask.”The men followed her, and in a sheltered creek on the shore, they actually found a cask, which inspired them with the hope that it contained the generous drink for which they were thirsting.They at once rolled it as quickly as possible toward the cottage, for the western sky was overcast with heavy storm-clouds, and they could observe in the twilight the waves of the lake raising their white, foaming heads, as if looking out for the rain which was presently to pour down upon them.Undine helped the men as much as she was able, and when the storm of rain suddenly burst over them, she said, with a merry threat to the heavy clouds：“Come, come, take care that you don't wet us；we are still some way from shelter.”The old man reproved her for this, as simple presumption, but she laughed softly to herself, and no mischief befell any one in consequence of her levity.Nay, more：contrary to all expectation, they reached the comfortable hearth with their booty perfectly dry, and it was not till they had opened the cask, and had proved that it contained some wonderfully excellent wine, that the rain burst forth from the dark cloud, and the storm raged among the tops of the trees, and over the agitated billows of the lake.
Several bottles were soon filled from the great cask, which promised a supply for many days, and they were sitting drinking and jesting round the glowing fre, feeling comfortably secured from the raging storm without. Suddenly the old fsherman became very grave and said：“Ah, great God!here we are rejoicing over this rich treasure, and he to whom it once belonged, and of whom the foods have robbed it, has probably lost this precious life in their waters.”
“That he has not,”declared Undine, as she smilingly flled theknight's cup to the brim.
But Huldbrand replied：“By my honor, old father, if I knew where to fnd and to rescue him, no knightly errand and no danger would I shirk. So much, however, I can promise you, that if ever again I reach more inhabited lands, I will fnd out the owner of this wine or his heirs, and requite it twofold, nay, threefold.”
This delighted the old man；he nodded approvingly to the knight, and drained his cup with a better conscience and greater pleasure.
Undine, however, said to Huldbrand：“Do as you will with your gold and your reimbursement；but you spoke foolishly about the venturing out in search；I should cry my eyes out, if you were lost in the attempt, and isn't it true, that you would yourself rather stay with me and the good wine.”
“Yes, indeed,”answered Huldbrand, smiling.
“Then,”said Undine,“you spoke unwisely. For charity begins at home, and what do other people concern us?”
The old woman turned away sighing and shaking her head；the fsherman forgot his wonted affection for the pretty girl and scolded her.
“It sounds exactly,”said he, as he finished his reproof,“as if Turks and heathens had brought you up；may God forgive both me and you, you spoiled child.”
“Well,”replied Undine,“for all that, it is what I feel, let who will hate brought me up, and all your words can't help that.”
“Silence!”exclaimed the fsherman, and Undine, who, in spite of her pertness, was exceedingly fearful, shrank from him, and moving tremblingly toward Huldbrand, asked him in a soft tone：“Areyou also angry, dear friend?”
The knight pressed her tender hand and stroked her hair. He could say nothing, for vexation at the old man's severity toward Undine closed his lips：and thus the two couples sat opposite to each other, with angry feelings and embarrassed silence.