n
for herself a human soul.

MARY MACGREGOR.

CONTENTS

Chap.

I. The Fisherman and the Knight

II. Undine is Lost

III. Undine is Found

IV. The Knight's Story

V. The Knight stays at the Cottage

VI. The Wedding

VII. Undine's Story

VIII. Huldbrand and Undine leave the Cottage

IX. The Knight returns to the City

X. The Birthday Feast

XI. The Journey to Castle Ringstetten

XII. Castle Ringstetten

XIII. The Black Valley

XIV. Huldbrand forgets his Promise

XV. Huldbrand and Bertalda

XVI. Bertalda's Wedding

XVII. The Burial

LIST OF PICTURES

On the threshold stood a little maiden _Frontispiece_

Amid the sweet-scented grass, safe from the fury of the storm

'I saw in a great cavern a group of little goblins'

In the little cottage were heard the solemn words of the marriage service

The three travellers soon reached the leafy shades of the forest

At the sound of his voice the girl burst into tears

The little waves seemed to sob as they whispered, 'Alas! alas!'

Slowly, slowly there rose out of the mouth of the well a white figure

CHAPTER I

THE FISHERMAN AND THE KNIGHT

A fisherman brought a stool to the doorway of his home and, sitting
down, he began to mend his nets.

His cottage stood in the midst of green meadows, and his eyes grew
glad as he looked at the green grass. After the heat of the fair
summer's day it was so cool, so refreshing.

At the foot of the meadows lay a large lake of clear blue water. The
fisherman knew it well. It was there his work was done, through
sunshine or through storm.

To-day, as his gaze wandered from the green meadows to the blue lake,
he thought he saw the waters stretch out soft arms, until slowly they
drew the fair meadows, the little cottage into a loving embrace.

The fisherman, his wife and their foster-child lived very quietly on
this pleasant spot. It was but seldom that any one passed their door,
for between the beautiful meadows and the nearest town lay a wood. So
wild and gloomy was the wood, so tangled its pathway, that no one
cared to enter it.

Moreover, it was said that there were strange beings lurking amid the
gloom--ugly goblins, misshapen gnomes; and there were shadowy spirits
too, which flitted through the branches of the strongest trees, and
these even the bravest would not wish to see.

Through this dark and haunted wood the old fisher