"Beautiful friend," whispered she, "thou shalt tell me thy story here. Here the cross old people cannot hear us. And our roof of leaves giveth us as good shelter as their poor old hut!"
"Nay, but it is Paradise itself!" quoth Huldbrand, as he covered her face with eager kisses.
Meantime the fisherman had come to the edge of the stream and raised his voice to the young people. "Why, how is this, Sir Knight?" said he, "I welcomed thee as one honest man may welcome another, and behold, I find thee playing in secret the lover with my foster-child, and leaving me the while to run hither and thither through the night in search of her!"
"I have only just found her myself, old father," returned the knight.
"So much the better," was the answer; "and now bring her across forthwith to firm ground."
But this Undine would by no means allow. She protested that she would rather go with the stranger into the depths of the forest than return to the cottage where no one would do what she wished, and from which the knight himself would sooner or later depart. Then, again throwing her arms round Huldbrand, she sang with pretty grace:
A stream flowed forth of a darkling vale
And sought the bright sea-shore:
In the ocean's depths it found a home
And never returnèd more!
