8 UNDINE.
her eighteenth year. But in spit« of this, as I said be- fore, she is at heart one of the very best children in the world."
" You may say so," broke in the old lady, shaking her head; "you can give a better account of her than 1 can. When you return home from fishing, or from selling your fish in the city, you may think her frolics very delightful. But to have her dancing about you the whole day long, and never from morning to night to hear her speak one word of sense; and then, as she grows older, instead of having any help from her in the family, to find her a con- tinual cause of anxiety, lest her wild humours should com- pletely ruin us, — that is quite another thing, and enough at last to weary out the patience even of a saint."
"Well, well," replied the master of the house, with a smile ; " you have your trials with Undine, and I have mine with the lake. The lake often beats down my dams, and breaks the meshes of my nets, but for all that I have a strong affection for it; and so have you, in spite of your mighty crosses and vexations, for our graceful little child. Is it not true ?"
" One cannot be very angry with her," answered the old lady, as she gave her husband an approving smile.
That instant the door flew open, and a fair girl, of won- drous beauty, sprang laughing in, and said: "You have only been making a mock of me, father ; for where now is the guest you mentioned?"
The same moment, however, she perceived the knight also, and continued standing before the young man in fixed astonishment. Iluldbrand was charmed Avith her graceful figure, and viewed her lovely features with the more in- tense interest, as he imagined it was only her surprise that allowed him the opportunity, and that she would soon turn away from his gaze with increased bashfulness. But the event was the very reverse of what he expected. For, after looking at him for a long while, she became more confident, moved nearer, knelt down before him,
