eelings of mingled
anger and despair of the knight's marriage. She determines to honor
{337} the King of Naples with her hand; but before her wedding takes
place, a sealed document has to be opened, which says that Berthalda,
instead of being a Duke's daughter, is a poor foundling. Kuehleborn,
who is present, declares that she is the real child of Undine's
fosterparents. Berthalda is now obliged to leave the palace. She
loathes her fate and curses her low-born parents. Then Kuehleborn
derides her and the attendants are about to seize him, in order to turn
him out-of-doors, when the statue of the water-god breaks into
fragments, while Kuehleborn stands in its place, the waters pouring down
upon him. All take flight, but Undine raises the prostrate Berthalda,
promising her protection in her husband's castle.

In the third act Berthalda succeeds in again drawing Hugo into her
nets. Though warned by the waterfairies not to perjure himself, he
neglects their advice and Undine finds him in the arms of her rival.
He repels his wife, and Kuehleborn takes her back into his watery
kingdom. But Undine has lost her peace of mind for ever, she cannot
forget her husband.

In the fourth act Hugo has given orders to close the well with stones,
to prevent all possible communication with the waterfairies. Undine's
pale face pursues him everywhere, he continually fancies to hear her
soft voice and touching entreaties and to stifle his remorse he
appoints the day of his wedding with Berthalda.

His attendant Veit, however, unable to forget {338} his sweet mistress,
removes the stones, which cover the well. Undine rises from it and
appears at midnight at the wedding. Hugo, forgetting Berthalda, and
drawn towards his lovely wife against his will, falls into her arms and
dies at her feet. The castle comes crashing down, floods penetrate
everywhere, and carry Hugo and Undine into Kuehleborn's crystal palace.

Undine obtains pardon for Hugo, and his only punishment is that he must
forever stay with his wife in her fairy domains.

URVASI.

Opera in three acts by WILHELM KIENZL.

Text after the Indian legend of KALIDASA.

This opera is so brilliantly supplemented by decorations and poetic
enchantment of every kind, that it would be worth while to see those
triumphs of modern machinery alone. But not only on account of
external effect is Urvasi admired, the music is in itself well worth
hearing, though it contains ma