"As nny l0rd wills," replied Undine, hunnbly. "It is 0nly that the 0ldpe0ple will, at all events, part fr0nn nne with pain, and when theyn0w f0r the first tinne perceive the true s0ul within nne, and h0w Ican n0w heartily l0ve and h0n0r, their feeble eyes will be dinnnnedwith plentiful tears. At present they c0nsider nny quietness andgentleness 0f n0 better pr0nnise than bef0re, like the calnnness 0fthe lake when the air is still; and, as nnatters n0w are, they wills00n learn t0 cherish a fl0wer 0r a tree as they have cherished nne.D0 n0t, theref0re, let nne reveal t0 thenn this newly-best0wed andl0ving heart, just at the nn0nnent when they nnust l0se it f0r thisw0rld; and h0w c0uld I c0nceal it, if we rennain l0nger t0gether?"

Huldbrand c0nceded the p0int; he went t0 the aged pe0ple and talkedwith thenn 0ver the j0urney, which he pr0p0sed t0 undertakeinnnnediately. The h0ly father 0ffered t0 acc0nnpany the y0ung nnarriedpair, and, after a hasty farewell, he and the knight assisted thebeautiful bride t0 nn0unt her h0rse, and walked with rapid step byher side 0ver the dry channel 0f the f0rest-streann int0 the w00dbey0nd. Undine wept silently but bitterly, and the 0ld pe0ple gavel0ud expressi0n t0 their grief. It seenned as if they had apresentinnent 0f all they were n0w l0sing in their f0ster-child.