THE KNIGHT RETURNS TO THE CITY
Now all this time the lady Bertalda had been very unhappy because of
the knight's long absence. Indeed, she had no sooner sent Huldbrand
forth into the haunted forest than she began to wish that she had kept
him by her side. As day after day passed and he did not return, she
grew fearful lest he had lost his way and perished in the mazes of the
wood. When a little later she heard of the floods that had made the
country around impassable, she wellnigh lost all hope of his return.
In spite of this, however, she begged the knights who had taken part
in the tournament to go in search of Huldbrand, but this they were
unwilling to do.
As for the knight's own servants, they would not leave the city
without their master, yet neither would they follow him into the
dreaded forest. They lingered on at an inn of the city, lamenting his
absence, but doing nought to bring him back.
It was now, when there seemed but little hope of his return, that
Huldbrand, to the surprise of every one, appeared in the city,
bringing with him a wife of wondrous beauty, as well as Father
Heilman, the priest who had married them.
Huldbrand's servants rejoiced to see their young master alive and
well. And the town folk, who had heard of his disappearance, were glad
that the light-hearted knight, who had always treated them with
courtesy, had suffered no harm in his adventure.
But the lady Bertalda, though she was glad that the knight had
returned, was sad when she saw that he had not come back alone. She
herself had loved him, and had hoped that, if ever he should return,
he would claim her as his bride.
Yet though Bertalda was sad, she was a wise maiden, and she received
Undine kindly, thinking that she was a princess whom Huldbrand had
rescued from a wicked wizard. For the true story of the beautiful
Undine was known to none, save to the knight alone.
As for Undine, she no sooner saw Bertalda than she loved her, and
begged her to stay in the city until she and her husband left it.
Nay, more, she even asked the maiden to promise to go with them when
they set out for the castle of Ringstetten, which stood on the banks
of the river Danube, and Bertalda was well pleased with this request.
One evening they three together walked up and down in the public
square. In the midst of the square stood a beautiful fountain, and
here they lingered to watch the water as it tumbled and tossed. So
violently did it do this that it seemed as though the fountain must
break, and the water, bursting its bonds, must flow away far and free.
At that moment a tall man came towards them from the market-place,
and, bowing to the knight and Bertalda, he drew the young wife aside
that he might speak to her alone.
Huldbrand looked at the stranger, and as he looked he felt sure that
he had seen him before. He grew a little angry, this hasty knight, as
he watched his wife and the stranger whispering together. He caught a
few words too, and they seemed to him to be in a foreign language, and
this displeased him yet more.
At this moment, however, Undine left the stranger. As she came toward
her husband she was laughing merrily and clapping her hands.
But the stranger, as she left him, shook his head and frowned. Then he
walked with great strides toward the fountain, and stepping into it he
vanished and was seen no more.
'It is Kühleborn, the spirit of the forest stream--I know him now,'
thought Huldbrand to himself.
But Bertalda seemed to see nothing unusual about the stranger. She
thought he was the Master of the fountain, and turning to Undine she
asked her what the man had said to make her laugh so gaily.
'The day after to-morrow is your birthday, dear Bertalda,' said
Undine. 'Wait only until then, and I will tell you the reason of my
joy.'
Then, saying farewell to Bertalda, Undine and the knight walked toward
their home.
'Was it Kühleborn who spoke to you by the fountain?' asked Huldbrand,
and his voice sounded cold, for he did not wish to be reminded of his
wife's strange relations.
'It was he,' answered Undine. 'He told me tidings that made me
rejoice. I will tell you without delay, should you desire it, what the
tidings were. Yet if you will but wait until Bertalda's birthday, you
will give me great pleasure, and you yourself will enjoy a great
surprise.'
Listening to her gentle words, the knight forgot the ill-humour he had
but lately felt, and willingly he agreed to wait until she herself
wished to tell him the good news.
And Undine, as she fell asleep that night, was smiling happily.
'Bertalda, dear Bertalda,' she murmured, 'how she will rejoice when I
tell her the tidings brought to me by him whom she calls the Master of
the fountain.'