The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1919-12-22
ITheLOUeStOrieS
of Great Novels
By Albert Payson Terhune
Copyright 1919. by Toe Press T-rbitshins %.
tThe New YORK Evening urld.)
No. 28-Undine,
Bu La MOtte-FOuque.

THE knight. HiIdobrand, during q
journey through the forests
CHANGED to stop at fsherman's
hut There he mot and fell desperately
in love with Undine, whom he believed
70 be- his hosts daughter. SO com
petcly did the girl charm Hildebrand
that hc forgot his sGfni-betrothnl 10
another wOman-.tU BGrtalda- a court
beauty.
Now. as the knight presently
learned. Uudine was not tho fisher
mans daughter. She WIS a water
spritr, whose uncle, KuhIeborn. had
given her to the fisherman to bring
up. For. as Kuhleboru knew, tho only
way for a water sprite TO become
/ human and to have a soul, was -
marry some human being. with this
plan in view nc had given her 70 TIN
/ fisherman TO rear.
/ Undne returned the knights love.
| After a brief courtship the pair were
married. But, as soon as she acquired
a soul, Undine lost the wilful charm
that had attracted her husband; and
she became gentle and submissive. To
his surprise, Hildebrand did not Like
/ this change in her. In gaining a soul.
she had lost most OF tho fascination
/ that had won him.
Hide brand took his lovely bride b
his own castle, and round of feS-
tivities began. Bcrtalda came back
into the knights life. Seeing how
much Interested in RertiLlda her hus-
band seemed TO be, the gentle Undipo
sought 10 make him happy by asking
the other woman TO pay them a long
visit
! Hldebrand grew less and less al
tentive TO Undine and more and morn
so to Bertalda. Undine bore this,
, incCkly. But her water sprite lCins-
men did not. At last came a scene
| In which the knight lost his temper
with his blameless wife and snoute&,
10 her that he wished he had never
set eyes on her.
They were sailing on tho Danube AZ
the time. EuhlObOrn reached UP from
the rivers depths and drew Undine
down into the stream with him and
away from the man who had proved
so unworthy of her.
Hidebrund-now that it was too
late-rcpentcd bitterly OF his cruelty
toward tho loving Undinc. For q
time he was Frustrated by grief at
her loss. But nc was still young and
BCrtaldn was beautiful. And, bit by
bit. his old infatuntion began to re-
turn.
In dream. Undine warned Hide
brand that her water sprits kinsmen
had vowed vengeance against him
She told the knight that these kins-
men had power only over the water
ana its near vicinity, and that If he
kept away from the river and sealed
up the bubbling fountain in the court
yard Of his castle he would DO cafe
from them.
The knight obeyed. The courtyard
fountain was sealed by huge stone.
And he avoided the river. Thus,
Kuhleborn had no power TO harm
him.
At last Hndebrand became be-
trothed to Bertalda. The date for the
wedding was fixed. Guests thronged
to the castle. Bertalda was gdyly
triumphant in this hour Of her final
victory.
on the eve Of the, wedding she
undertook 70 show her authority over
Hndebrand's servants by ordering
them to remove the great stone that
sealed the courtyard fountain. Hide
brand was in his own rooms, dressing
for the marriage ceremony, and he
knew nothing OF the order she gave.
The servants priCd up the stone. As
they did so a shadOwy white figure
) arose from the fountain and glided
into the castle. 1t was tTndine.
Straight to the knights roons she
made her silent way.
There, twining her arms about him,
she held him in an embrace that
: pressed him close and closer until he
I lied.
The servants rushed into 'helr
: masters room to find him lying dead
I on tho stone floor while from a cleft
in the pavement beside him gushed
forth a silvery spring Of water.