Undine | Page 4

father,' she cried, 'you say to
him not to answer me. But he shall speak, he shall, he shall!' And in her
anger she stamped her little feet.
The knight wellnigh smiled as he watched the maiden's wrath, but the
old man was grieved that the stranger should see the wayward
behaviour of his foster-child, and he reproved her for her anger. The
old woman also muttered her displeasure.
Then Undine slipped quickly toward the door of the little cottage. She
did not choose to listen to these rebukes.
'I will not stay with you, for you do nothing but scold me, and you will
not do anything that I wish,' she cried, and before they could reach her
she had opened the door, and was away and out, out into the dark night.

CHAPTER II
UNDINE IS LOST
Huldbrand and the fisherman sprang after the maiden, but when they
reached the door of the cottage and looked out into the night she was
nowhere to be seen, nor could they catch the sound of her tiny feet to
guide them whither she had fled.
The knight looked in astonishment at his host. Was the beautiful
maiden only another of the wonderful beings who had bewildered him
in the forest? Was she some lovely elf or sprite who had come but to
vex them with her pranks?
But as he looked at the old man standing by his side, and saw the tears
streaming from his eyes, he knew it was for no spirit of the wood that
he thus grieved.

'Alas,' sighed the fisherman, 'this is not the first time that the maiden
has treated us thus. It may be she will not return the livelong night, and
until she returns it is not possible that we should close our eyes. For
what terror may not seize upon her as she wanders hither and thither in
the darkness.'
'We must follow her, father, follow her without delay!' cried the young
knight.
'Nay,' answered the fisherman, 'my limbs are stiff. Though I knew
whither she had fled, I could never follow with speed enough to reach
her. Ever she would vanish as I drew near, for she is fleet, fleet as an
arrow from the bow.'
'If we may not follow her, at least let us call and entreat her to return,'
said the young knight, and without waiting for an answer he called,
'Undine! Undine!'
But the old man shook his head. 'It is useless to call,' he said, 'the little
one will not heed your voice.' Yet still the knight's cry rang out into the
night, 'Undine, dear Undine, I pray you return!'
No answer came back from the darkness, and at length Huldbrand
returned with the fisherman to the cottage.
The old woman, who seemed little troubled by Undine's flight, had
gone to bed and the fire was wellnigh out. But the fisherman, drawing
the ashes together, placed wood on the top of them, and soon the fire
blazed brightly.
Then in the light of the flames they sat and talked, yet they thought
only of Undine. The window rattled. They raised their heads to listen.
The rain fell in heavy drops, pitter, patter. They thought it was the tread
of tiny feet.
'It is she, it is Undine!' they would cry, yet still the maiden did not
come. Then they shook their heads sadly, but as they went on talking
they listened still.

'It was fifteen years ago, on such a night of wind and rain, that she
came,' murmured the old man. 'Our home was sad and desolate, for we
had lost our own little child.'
'Ah,' said the knight, 'tell me how the beautiful maiden came to your
little cottage.'
Now this is the story the fisherman told to the knight.
'It is fifteen years ago,' began the old man, 'since I went through the
forest, hoping to sell my fish in the city beyond. I was alone, for my
wife was at home watching our little babe. Our little babe was dear to
us and very fair.
'In the evening, having sold all my fish, I went home through the
haunted forest, nor did I fear its gloom, for the Lord was at my right
hand.
'But no sooner had I left the wood than I saw my wife running toward
me, while tears streamed from her eyes. She had dressed herself, I
noticed, in black garments, and this she was not used to do. I felt sure
that trouble had befallen us.
'"Where is our child, our little one?" I cried, though even as I spoke my
voice was choked with sobs.
'"Our child is with God, the great Father," answered my wife.
'Then in the midst of her tears the poor mother