around
by what seemed like swans' wings, and soothed by watery airs, which
lulled him back again into the half-unconscious, twilight state. At
length he did fall asleep and fancied himself lifted by swans on their
soft wings, and carried far away over lands and seas, all to the sound
of their sweetest melody. "Swans singing! swans singing!" thought he
continually; "is not that the strain of Death?" Presently he found
himself hovering above a vast sea. A swan warbled in his ear that it
was the Mediterranean; and as he looked down into the deep it became
like clear crystal, transparent to the bottom. This rejoiced him much,
for he could see Undine sitting in a brilliant hall of crystal.

She was shedding tears, indeed, and looked sadly changed since the
happy times which they had spent together at Ringstetten; happiest at
first, but happy also a short time since, just before the fatal sail
on the Danube. The contrast struck Huldbrand deeply; but Undine did
not seem to be aware of his presence. Kuehleborn soon came up to her,
and began rating her for weeping. She composed herself, and looked at
him with a firmness and dignity, before which he almost quailed.
"Though I am condemned to live under these deep waters," said she, "I
have brought my soul with me; therefore my tears cannot be understood
by thee. But to me they are blessings, like everything that belongs to
a loving soul." He shook his head incredulously, and said, after a
pause: "Nevertheless, niece, you are still subject to the laws of our
element; and you know you must execute sentence of death upon him as
soon as he marries again, and breaks faith with you."--"To this hour
he is a widower," said Undine, "and loves and mourns me truly."--"Ah,
but he will be bridegroom soon," said Kuehleborn with a sneer; "wait a
couple of days only; and the marriage blessing will have been given,
and you must go up and put the criminal to death."--"I cannot!"
answered the smiling Undine. "I have had the fountain sealed up,
against myself and my whole race." "But suppose he leaves his castle,"
said Kuehleborn, "or forgets himself so far as to let them set the
fountain 'free,' for he thinks mighty little of those matters."--"And
that is why," said Undine, still smiling through her tears, "that is
why his spirit hovers at this moment over the Mediterranean, and
listens to our conversation as in a dream. I have contrived it on
purpose, that he may take warning." On hearing this Kueh