undine-第3节

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and　at　that　time　I　had　never　seen　any　of　its　fearful　wonders。　The
Lord　was　ever　with　me　in　those　mysterious　shades。〃

As　he　spoke　he　took　his　little　cap　from　his　bald　head；　and　remained
for　a　time　occupied　with　prayerful　thoughts；　he　then　covered　himself
again；　and　continued：

〃On　this　side　the　forest；　alas！　a　sorrow　awaited　me。　My　wife　came　to
meet　me　with　tearful　eyes　and　clad　in　mourning。　'Oh！　Good　God！'　I
groaned；　'where　is　our　dear　child？　speak！''With　him　on　whom　you
have　called；　dear　husband；'　she　replied；　and　we　now　entered　the
cottage　together　weeping　silently。　I　looked　around　for　the　little
corpse；　and　it　was　then　only　that　I　learned　how　it　had　all
happened。〃

〃My　wife　had　been　sitting　with　the　child　on　the　edge　of　the　lake；
and　as　she　was　playing　with　it；　free　of　all　fear　and　full　of
happiness；　the　little　one　suddenly　bent　forward；　as　if　attracted　by
something　very　beautiful　in　the　water。　My　wife　saw　her　laugh；　the
dear　angel；　and　stretch　out　her　little　hands；　but　in　a　moment　she
had　sprung　out　of　her　mother's　arms；　and　had　sunk　beneath　the　watery
mirror。　I　sought　long　for　our　little　lost　one；　but　it　was　all　in
vain；　there　was　no　trace　of　her　to　be　found。〃

〃The　same　evening　we；　childless　parents；　were　sitting　silently
together　in　the　cottage；　neither　of　us　had　any　desire　to　talk；　even
had　our　tears　allowed　us。　We　sat　gazing　into　the　fire　on　the　hearth。
Presently；　we　heard　something　rustling　outside　the　door：　it　flew
open；　and　a　beautiful　little　girl　three　or　four　years　old；　richly
dressed；　stood　on　the　threshold　smiling　at　us。　We　were　quite　dumb
with　astonishment；　and　I　knew　not　at　first　whether　it　were　a　vision
or　a　reality。　But　I　saw　the　water　dripping　from　her　golden　hair　and
rich　garments；　and　I　perceived　that　the　pretty　child　had　been　lying
in　the　water；　and　needed　help。　'Wife；'　said　I；　'no　one　has　been　able
to　save　our　dear　child；　yet　let　us　at　any　rate　do　for　others　what
would　have　made　us　so　blessed。'　We　undressed　the　little　one；　put　her
to　bed；　and　gave　her　something　warm；　at　all　this　she　spoke　not　a
word；　and　only　fixed　her　eyes；　that　reflected　the　blue　of　the　lake
and　of　the　sky；　smilingly　upon　us。　Next　morning　we　quickly　perceived
that　she　had　taken　no　harm　from　her　wetting；　and　I　now　inquired
about　her　parents；　and　how　she　had　come　here。　But　she　gave　a
confused　and　strange　account。　She　must　have　been　born　far　from　here；
not　only　because　for　these　fifteen　years　I　have　not　been　able　to
find　out　anything　of　her　parentage；　but　because　she　then　spoke；　and
at　times　still　speaks；　of　such　singular　things　that　such　as　we　are
cannot　tell　but　that　she　may　have　dropped　upon　us　from　the　moon。　She
talks　of　golden　castles；　of　crystal　domes；　and　heaven　knows　what
besides。　The　story　that　she　told　with　most　distinctness　was；　that
she　was　out　in　a　boat　with　her　mother　on　the　great　lake；　and　fell
into　the　water；　and　that　she　only　recovered　her　senses　here　under
the　trees　where　she　felt　herself　quite　happy　on　the　merry　shore。　We
had　still　a　great　misgiving　and　perplexity　weighing　on　our　heart。　We
had；　indeed；　soon　decided　to　keep　the　child　we　had　found　and　to
bring　her　up　in　the　place　of　our　lost　darling；　but　who　could　tell　us
whether　she　had　been　baptized　or　not？　She　herself　could　give　us　no
information　on　the　matter。　She　generally　answered　our　questions　by
saying　that　she　well　knew　she　was　created　for　Gods　praise　and　glory；
and　that　she　was　ready　to　let　us　do　with　her　whatever　would　tend　to
His　honor　and　glory。〃

〃My　wife　and　I　thought　that　if　she　were　not　baptized；　there　was　no
time　for　delay；　and　that　if　she　were；　a　good　thing　could　not　be
repeated　too　often。　And　in　pursuance　of　this　idea；　we　reflected　upon
a　good　name　for　the　child；　for　we　now　were　often　at　a　loss　to　know
what　to　call　her。　We　agreed　at　last　that　Dorothea　would　be　the　most
suitable　for　her；　for　I　once　heard　that　it　meant　a　gift　of　God；　and
she　had　surely　been　sent　to　us　by　God　as　a　gift　and　comfort　in　our
misery。　She；　on　the　other　hand；　would　not　hear　of　this；　and　told　us
that　she　thought　she　had　been　called　Undine　by　her　parents；　and　that
Undine　she　wished　still　to　be　called。　Now　this　appeared　to　me　a
heathenish　name；　not　to　be　found　in　any　calendar；　and　I　took　counsel
therefore　of　a　priest　in　the　city。　He　also　would　not　hear　of　the
name　of　Undine；　but　at　my　earnest　request　he　came　with　me　through
the　mysterious　forest　in　order　to　perform　the　rite　of　baptism　here
in　my　cottage。　The　little　one　stood　before　us　so　prettily　arrayed
and　looked　so　charming　that　the　priest's　heart　was　at　once　moved
within　him；　and　she　flattered　him　so　prettily；　and　braved　him　so
merrily；　that　at　last　he　could　no　longer　remember　the　objections　he
had　had　ready　against　the　name　of　Undine。　She　was　therefore　baptized
'Undine；'　and　during　the　sacred　ceremony　she　behaved　with　great
propriety　and　sweetness；　wild　and　restless　as　she　invariably　was　at
other　times。　For　my　wife　was　quite　right　when　she　said　that　it　has
been　hard　to　put　up　with　her。　If　I　were　to　tell　you〃

The　knight　interrupted　the　fisherman　to　draw　his　attention　to　a
noise；　as　of　a　rushing　flood　of　waters；　which　had　caught　his　ear
during　the　old　man's　talk；　and　which　now　burst　against　the　cottage…
window　with　redoubled　fury。　Both　sprang　to　the　door。　There　they　saw；
by　the　light　of　the　now　risen　moon；　the　brook　which　issued　from　the
wood；　widely　overflowing　its　banks；　and　whirling　away　stones　and
branches　of　trees　in　its　sweeping　course。　The　storm；　as　if　awakened
by　the　tumult；　burst　forth　from　the　mighty　clouds　which　passed
rapidly　across　the　moon；　the　lake　roared　under　the　furious　lashing
of　the　wind；　the　trees　of　the　little　peninsula　groaned　from　root　to
topmost　bough；　and　bent；　as　if　reeling；　over　the　surging　waters。
〃Undine！　for　Heaven's　sake；　Undine。〃　cried　the　two　men　in　alarm。　No
answer　was　returned；　and　regardless　of　every　other　consideration；
they　ran　out　of　the　cottage；　one　in　this　direction；　and　the　other　in
that；　searching　and　calling。




CHAPTER　III。

HOW　THEY　FOUND　UNDINE　AGAIN。


The　longer　Huldbrand　sought　Undine　beneath　the　shades　of　night；　and
failed　to　find　her；　the　more　anxious　and　confused　did　he　become。

The　idea　that　Undine　had　been　only　a　mere　apparition　of　the　forest；
again　gained　ascendancy　over　him；　indeed；　amid　the　howling　of　the
waves　and　the　tempest；　the　cracking　of　the　trees；　and　the　complete
transformation　of　a　scene　lately　so　calmly　beautiful；　he　could
almost　have　considered　the　whole　peninsula　with　its　cottage　and　its
inhabitants　as　a　mocking　illusive　vision；　but　from　afar　he　still
ever　heard　through　the　tumult　the　fisherman's　anxious　call　for
Undine；　and　the　loud　praying　and　singing　of　his　aged　wife。　At　length
he　came　close　to　the　brink　of　the　swollen　stream。　and　saw　in　the
moonlight　how　it　had　taken　its　wild　course　directly　in　front　of　the
haunted　forest；　so　as　to　change　the　peninsula　into　an　island。　〃Oh
God！〃　he　thought　to　himself；　〃if　Undine　has　ventured　a　step　into
that　fearful　forest；　perhaps　in　her　charming　wilfulness；　just
because　I　was　not　allowed　to　tell　her　about　it；　and　now　the　stream
may　be　rolling　between　us；　and　she　may　be　weeping　on　the　other　side
alone；　among　phantoms　and　spectres！〃

A　cry　of　horror　escaped　him；　and　he　clambered　down　some　rocks　and
overthrown　pine…stems；　in　order　to　reach　the　rushing　stream　and　by
wading　or　swimming　to　seek　the　fugitive　on　the　other　side。　He
remembered　all　the　awful　and　wonderful　things　which　he　had
encountered；　even　by　day；　under　the　now　rustling　and　roaring
branches　of　the　forest。　Above　all　it　seemed　to　him　as　if　a　tall　man
in　white；　whom　he　knew　but　too　well；　was　grinning　and　nodding　on　the
opposite　shore；　but　it　was　just　these　monstrous　forms　which　forcibly
impelled　him　to　cross　the　flood；　as　the　thought　seized　him　that
Undine　might　be　among　them　in　the　agonies　of　death　and　alone。

He　had　already　grasped　the　strong　branch　of　a　pine；　and　was　standing
supported　by　it；　in　the　whirling　current；　against　which　he　could
with　difficulty　maintain　himself；　though　with　a　courageous　spirit　he
advanced　deeper　into　it。　Just　then　a　gentle　voice　exclaimed　near
him：　〃Venture　not；　venture　not；　the　old　man；　the　stream；　is　full　of
tricks！〃　He　knew　the　sweet　tones；　he　stood　as　if　entranced　beneath
the　shadows　that　duskily　shrouded　the　moon；　and　his　head　swam　with
the　swelling　of　the　waves；　which　he　now　saw　rapidly　rising　to　his
waist。　Still　he　would　not　desist。

〃If　thou　art　not　really　there；　if　thou　art　only　floating　about　me
like　a　mist；　then　may　I　too　cease　to　live　and　become　a　shadow　like
thee；　dear；　dear　Undine！〃　Thus　exclaiming　aloud；　he　again　stepped
deeper　into　the　stream。　〃Look　round　thee；　oh！　look　round　thee；
beautiful　but　infatuated　youth！〃　cried　a　voice　again　close　beside
him；　and　looking　aside；　he　saw　by　the　momentarily　unveiled　moon；　a
little　island　formed　by　the　flood；　on　which　he　perceived　under　the
interweaved　branches　of　the　overhanging　trees；　Undine　smiling　and
happy；　nestling　in　the　flowery　grass。

Oh！　how　much　more　gladly　than　before　did　the　young　man　now　use　the
aid　of　his　pine…branch！

With　a　few　steps　he　had　crossed　the　flood　which　was　rushing　between
him　and　the　maiden；　and　he　w