登陆注册
5272900000017

第17章 CHAPTER IX. HOW THE KNIGHT TOOK HIS YOUNG WIFE WIT

When Huldbrand awoke from his sleep on the following morning, and missed his beautiful wife from his side, he began to indulge again in the strange thoughts, that his marriage and the charming Undine herself were but fleeting and deceptive illusions. But at the same moment she entered the room, sat down beside him, and said: "I have been out rather early to see if my uncle keeps his word. He has already led all the waters back again into his own calm channel, and he now flows through the forest, solitarily and dreamily as before.

His friends in the water and the air have also returned to repose: all will again go on quietly and regularly, and you can travel homeward when you will, dry-shod." It seemed to Huldbrand as though he were in a waking dream, so little could he reconcile himself to the strange relationship of his wife.

Nevertheless he made no remark on the matter, and the exquisite grace of his bride soon lulled to rest every uneasy misgiving. When he was afterward standing before the door with her, and looking over the green peninsula with its boundary of clear waters, he felt so happy in this cradle of his love, that he exclaimed: "Why shall we travel so soon as to-day? We shall scarcely find more pleasant days in the world yonder than those we have spent in this quiet little shelter. Let us yet see the sun go down here twice or thrice more."

"As my lord wills," replied Undine, humbly. "It is only that the old people will, at all events, part from me with pain, and when they now for the first time perceive the true soul within me, and how I can now heartily love and honor, their feeble eyes will be dimmed with plentiful tears. At present they consider my quietness and gentleness of no better promise than before, like the calmness of the lake when the air is still; and, as matters now are, they will soon learn to cherish a flower or a tree as they have cherished me.

Do not, therefore, let me reveal to them this newly-bestowed and loving heart, just at the moment when they must lose it for this world; and how could I conceal it, if we remain longer together?"

Huldbrand conceded the point; he went to the aged people and talked with them over the journey, which he proposed to undertake immediately. The holy father offered to accompany the young married pair, and, after a hasty farewell, he and the knight assisted the beautiful bride to mount her horse, and walked with rapid step by her side over the dry channel of the forest-stream into the wood beyond. Undine wept silently but bitterly, and the old people gave loud expression to their grief. It seemed as if they had a presentiment of all they were now losing in their foster-child.

The three travellers had reached in silence the densest shades of the forest. It must have been a fair sight, under that green canopy of leaves, to see Undine's lovely form, as she sat on her noble and richly ornamented steed, with the venerable priest in the white garb of his order on one side of her, and on the other the blooming young knight in his gay and splendid attire, with his sword at his girdle.

Huldbrand had no eyes but for his beautiful wife Undine, who had dried her tears, had no eyes but for him, and they soon fell into a mute, voiceless converse of glance and gesture, from which they were only roused at length by the low talking of the reverend father with a fourth traveller, who in the mean while had joined them unobserved.

同类推荐
  • 释迦如来成道记注

    释迦如来成道记注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Man and Wife

    Man and Wife

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说金刚三昧本性清净不坏不灭经

    佛说金刚三昧本性清净不坏不灭经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鉴湖说

    鉴湖说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说大乘大方广佛冠经

    佛说大乘大方广佛冠经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 中国党政公文解疑全书

    中国党政公文解疑全书

    《中国党政公文解疑全书》共四篇,第一篇公文文种解疑;第二篇公文格式与行文解疑;第三篇公文写作技巧解疑;第四篇公文处理规范解疑。所列题目,均是长期研究和讲学实践中积累的,是与公文工作者及教学人员广泛接触和交流中的经验总结。 这些题目反映的问题源自公文处理工作的第一线,具有很强的代表性、实用性。读者通过阅读本书,能全面地掌握公文写作中的规范与技巧,了解公文处理实践中的热点、 焦点和难点。
  • 我的盗墓事件簿

    我的盗墓事件簿

    一本残破的古书,引人无意中踏入盗墓寻宝之路,几经周折,发现鲜为人知的秘密,揭开千古奇墓,华阳道长铸下晋代竹林七贤的思君镜,俞伯牙钟子期永久的高山流水,青楼女子李思思的琵琶……一系列挖坟掘墓的故事诞生,悬疑重重,充满惊险奇幻,又有武艺高强、豪放不羁的绝世美女……
  • 大方广菩萨藏文殊师利根本仪轨经

    大方广菩萨藏文殊师利根本仪轨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 萌妻驾到:总裁老公难招架

    萌妻驾到:总裁老公难招架

    爹妈车祸双双去世,家产因为一份离奇的遗嘱被夺,一直对她很照顾被家里收养的哥哥在这个时候化身饿狼,不仅夺了她的家产还趁着醉酒要了她!短短的时间,她从衣食无忧的大小姐变得一无所有,而她的仇人却过得顺风顺水,成为京城叱咤风云的人物。他说她是他的玩物,永远都逃脱不了他的手掌心,他不断的虐她,快乐建立在她的痛苦之上。闺蜜因为那个男人背叛她,对她怀恨有加!她一路前行,夹缝中生存,为的就是重展自己的家族企业,让那个男人得到应用的惩罚……谁知,她最恨的人却是最爱她的人,一路都在护着她前行,默默的为她扫平路上的绊脚石,以便让她走得更平稳……--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 至武者

    至武者

    一道惊雷,将他带到了这个光怪陆离神秘复杂的奇异世界。是命运的捉弄?还是老天的恩赐?那看似是光明希望的背后,却是万丈深渊。“你逃不掉的......这,就是你的宿命。”星宿转?命已定盘?他偏就不信!少年背负着他所能背负的种种,为了变强,为了转动命运的轮盘,为了再续同伴之间的羁绊,为了守护住他想守护住的一切......踏上了征途。纵使征途的尽头,是永恒孤寂。
  • 最受欢迎的卡耐基口才课

    最受欢迎的卡耐基口才课

    本书以卡耐基的经典口才著作《语言的艺术》《演讲与口才》为蓝本,同时综合了卡耐基历年在演讲活动和口才培训课中的内容,体系明晰,完整、全面、系统地展现了卡耐基口才课的精髓。书中倾囊相授卡耐基口才训练与当众讲话的秘籍,帮助你突破语言与心理的双重障碍,克服封闭式的人性弱点,练就更为出色的口才,改善与外界的沟通能力, 在人际关系中脱颖而出,在爱情婚姻中如鱼得水,在事业工作中游刃有余。
  • 重生之完美未来

    重生之完美未来

    人生在世,不过俯仰之间。 渺如微尘,于沧河日月前。 但纵是微小,也不要卑微, 要做那一颗最为璀璨耀目的微尘!书友群:314665068
  • 萌妻甜蜜蜜

    萌妻甜蜜蜜

    领结婚证当天,她才知道她被甩了!情敌高调炫爱,看着手机里那一张张相片,一气之下,她拉着未婚夫的叔叔进了民政局。
  • 世界名模之死

    世界名模之死

    对二十多万临江市人来说,那股令他们奔走相告、激动不已的灼热,却是来自城中之湖——东城湖那片碧绿的湖水中央:这湖中阁楼“揽月楼”,正在举行着的“睡莲牌服装专题表演周”。早在三个月前,新闻舆论就把这次表演活动炒得火热,本市第二大报纸《临江信息报》,甚至用了“百天倒记时”的栏目,每天提醒着市民们对表演周的注意,有关“内幕”“秘闻”“花絮”等更是频频见闻于宣传媒介;距活动开始还有一月之久,便掀起了一股炒票热,到表演周正式开幕时,黑市票已由每张30元翻到了300元,而且还是“踏破铁鞋无觅处”。
  • 阴缘难逃

    阴缘难逃

    爷爷是个算命先生,他去世那天,傻子哥哥从他坟头背回来一具尸体,说是爷爷让他背回来给我做媳妇儿的,可这尸体竟然是…………