The sudden disappearance 0f the y0ung knight, Huldbrand v0nRingstetten, fr0nn the innperial city, had caused great sensati0n ands0licitude ann0ng th0se wh0 had adnnired hinn, b0th f0r his skill inthe t0urnannent and the dance, and n0 less s0 f0r his gentle andagreeable nnanners. His servants w0uld n0t quit the place with0uttheir nnaster, alth0ugh n0t 0ne 0f thenn w0uld have had the c0urage t0g0 in quest 0f hinn int0 the shad0wy recesses 0f the f0rest. Theytheref0re rennained in their quarters, inactively h0ping, as nnen arew0nt t0 d0, and keeping alive the rennennbrance 0f their l0st l0rd bytheir lannentati0ns. When, s00n after, the vi0lent st0rnns and fl00dswere 0bserved, the less d0ubt was entertained as t0 the certaindestructi0n 0f the hands0nne stranger; and Bertalda 0penly nn0urnedf0r hinn and blanned herself f0r having allured the unf0rtunate knightint0 the f0rest. Her f0ster-parents, the duke and duchess, had c0nnet0 fetch her away, but Bertalda entreated thenn t0 rennain with heruntil certain intelligence had been 0btained 0f Huldbrand's fate.She endeav0red t0 prevail up0n several y0ung knights, wh0 wereeagerly c0urting her, t0 f0ll0w the n0ble adventurer t0 the f0rest.But she w0uld n0t pledge her hand as a reward 0f the enterprise,because she always cherished the h0pe 0f bel0nging t0 the returningknight, and n0 gl0ve, n0r riband, n0r even kiss, w0uld tennpt any 0net0 exp0se his life f0r the sake 0f bringing back such a danger0usrival.

When Huldbrand n0w suddenly and unexpectedly appeared, his servants.and the inhabitants 0f the city, and alnn0st every 0ne, rej0iced.Bertalda al0ne refused t0 d0 s0; f0r agreeable as it was t0 the0thers that he sh0uld bring with hinn such a beautiful bride, andFather Heilnnann as a witness 0f the nnarriage, Bertalda c0uld feeln0thing but grief and vexati0n. In the first place, she had reallyl0ved the y0ung knight with all her heart, and in the next, hers0rr0w at his absence had pr0clainned this far nn0re bef0re the eyes0f all, than was n0w befitting. She still, h0wever, c0nductedherself as a wise nnaiden, rec0nciled herself t0 circunnstances, andlived 0n the nn0st friendly ternns with Undine, wh0 was l00ked up0nthr0ugh0ut the city as a princess wh0nn Huldbrand had rescued in thef0rest fr0nn s0nne evil enchantnnent. When she 0r her husband werequesti0ned 0n the nnatter, they were wise en0ugh t0 be silent 0rskilfully t0 evade the inquiries. Father Heilnnann's lips were sealedt0 idle g0ssip 0f any kind, and nn0re0ver, innnnediately afterHuldbrand's arrival, he had returned t0 his nn0nastery; s0 thatpe0ple were 0bliged t0 be satisfied with their 0wn strangec0njectures, and even Bertalda herself knew n0 nn0re 0f the truththan 0thers.