stream of contentment.

There came, however, an interruption at last. The fisherman and the
knight had been accustomed at dinner, and also in the evening when the
wind roared without, as it rarely failed to do towards night, to enjoy
together a flask of wine. But now their whole stock, which the fisherman
had from time to time brought with him from the city, was at last
exhausted, and they were both quite out of humour at the circumstance.
That day Undine laughed at them excessively, but they were not disposed
to join in her jests with the same gaiety as usual. Toward evening she
went out of the cottage, to escape, as she said, the sight of two such
long and tiresome faces.

While it was yet twilight, some appearances of a tempest seemed to be
again mustering in the sky, and the waves already heaved and roared
around them: the knight and the fisherman sprang to the door in terror,
to bring home the maiden, remembering the anguish of that night when
Huldbrand had first entered the cottage. But Undine met them at the same
moment, clapping her little hands in high glee.

"What will you give me," she cried, "to provide you with wine? or
rather, you need not give me anything," she continued; "for I am already
satisfied, if you look more cheerful, and are in better spirits, than
throughout this last most wearisome day. Only come with me; the forest
stream has driven ashore a cask; and I will be condemned to sleep
through a whole week, if it is not a wine-cask."

The men followed her, and actually found, in a bushy cove of the shore,
a cask, which inspired them with as much joy as if they were sure it
contained the generous old wine for which they were thirsting. They
first of all, and with as much expedition as possible, rolled it toward
the cottage; for heavy clouds were again rising in the west, and they
could discern the waves of the lake in the fading light lifting their
white foaming heads, as if looking out for the rain, which threatened
every instant to pour upon them. Undine helped the men as much as she
was able; and as the shower, with a roar of wind, came suddenly sweeping
on in rapid pursuit, she raised her finger with a merry menace toward
the dark mass of clouds, and cried:

"You cloud, you cloud, have a care! beware how you wet us; we are some
way from shelter yet."

The old man reproved her for this sally, as a sinful presumption;
but she laughed to herself softly, and no mischief came from her wild
be