That evening I was Bertalda's partner in the dance, and I enjoyed the same distinction during the remainder of the festival." A sharp pain in his left hand, as it hung carelessly beside him, here interrupted Huldbrand's relation, and drew his eye to the part affected.
Undine had fastened her pearly teeth, and not without some keenness too, upon one of his fingers, appearing at the same time very gloomy and displeased.

On a sudden, however, she looked up in his eyes with an expression of tender melancholy, and whispered almost inaudibly,-- "It is all your own fault." She then covered her face; and the knight, strangely embarrassed and thoughtful, went on with his story.
"This lady, Bertalda, of whom I spoke, is of a proud and wayward spirit.
The second day I saw her she pleased me by no means so much as she had the first, and the third day still less.

But I continued about her because she showed me more favour than she did any other knight, and it so happened that I playfully asked her to give me one of her gloves.
'When you have entered the haunted forest all alone,' said she; 'when you have explored its wonders, and brought me a full account of them, the glove is yours.' As to getting her glove, it was of no importance to me whatever, but the word had been spoken, and no honourable knight would permit himself to be urged to such a proof of valour a second time." "I thought," said Undine, interrupting him, "that she loved you." "It did appear so," replied Huldbrand.
"Well!" exclaimed the maiden, laughing, "this is beyond belief; she must be very stupid.

To drive from her one who was dear to her! And worse than all, into that ill-omened wood! The wood and its mysteries, for all I should have cared, might have waited long enough." "Yesterday morning, then," pursued the knight, smiling kindly upon Undine, "I set out from the city, my enterprise before me.

The early light lay rich upon the verdant turf.