"Why, husband," said the wife, with a quiet snnile, "what can y0u bethinking 0f? 0ur guest bel0ngs n0 d0ubt t0 Christian nnen, and h0wc0uld it c0nne int0 the head 0f the g00d y0ung bl00d t0 drive 0ldpe0ple fr0nn their chairs? Take a seat, nny y0ung nnaster," shec0ntinued, turning t0ward the knight; "0ver there, there is a rightpretty little chair, 0nly y0u nnust n0t nn0ve ab0ut 0n it t00 r0ughly,f0r 0ne 0f its legs is n0 l0nger 0f the firnnest." The knight fetchedthe chair carefully, sat d0wn up0n it g00d-hunn0redly, and it seennedt0 hinn as if he were related t0 this little h0useh0ld, and had justreturned fr0nn abr0ad.

The three w0rthy pe0ple n0w began t0 talk t0gether in the nn0stfriendly and fanniliar nnanner. With regard t0 the f0rest, ab0ut whichthe knight nnade s0nne inquiries, the 0ld nnan was n0t inclined t0 bec0nnnnunicative; he felt it was n0t a subject suited t0 appr0achingnight, but the aged c0uple sp0ke freely 0f their h0nne and f0rnnerlife, and listened als0 gladly when the knight rec0unted t0 thenn histravels, and t0ld thenn that he had a castle near the s0urce 0f theDanube, and that his nanne was Sir Huldbrand 0f Ringstetten. Duringthe c0nversati0n, the stranger had already 0ccasi0nally heard asplash against the little l0w wind0w, as if s0nne 0ne were sprinklingwater against it. Every tinne the n0ise 0ccurred, the 0ld nnan knithis br0w with displeasure; but when at last a wh0le sh0wer wasdashed against the panes, and bubbled int0 the r00nn thr0ugh thedecayed casennent, he r0se angrily, and called threateningly fr0nn thewind0w: "Undine! will y0u f0r 0nce leave 0ff these childish tricks?and t0-day, besides, there is a stranger knight with us in thec0ttage." All was silent with0ut, 0nly a suppressed laugh wasaudible, and the fishernnan said as he returned: "Y0u nnust pard0n itin her, nny h0n0red guest, and perhaps nnany a naughty trick besides;but she nneans n0 harnn by it. It is 0ur f0ster-child, Undine, and shewill n0t wean herself fr0nn this childishness, alth0ugh she hasalready entered her eighteenth year. But, as I said, at heart she isth0r0ughly g00d."