In a few minutes the females returned--Bertalda pale as death; and the duchess said: "Justice must be done; I therefore declare that our lady hostess has spoken exact truth.

Bertalda is the fisherman's daughter; no further proof is required; and this is all of which, on the present occasion, you need to be informed." The princely pair went out with their adopted daughter; the fisherman, at a sign from the duke, followed them with his wife.

The other guests retired in silence, or suppressing their murmurs; while Undine sank weeping into the arms of Huldbrand.
The lord of Ringstetten would certainly have been more gratified, had the events of this day been different; but even such as they now were, he could by no means look upon them as unwelcome, since his lovely wife had shown herself so full of goodness, sweetness, and kindliness.
"If I have given her a soul," he could not help saying to himself, "I have assuredly given her a better one than my own;" and now he only thought of soothing and comforting his weeping wife, and of removing her even so early as the morrow from a place which, after this cross accident, could not fail to be distasteful to her.

Yet it is certain that the opinion of the public concerning her was not changed.

As something extraordinary had long before been expected of her, the mysterious discovery of Bertalda's parentage had occasioned little or no surprise; and every one who became acquainted with Bertalda's story, and with the violence of her behaviour on that occasion, was only disgusted and set against her.