born to
them a little son. The knight adored both wife and child, and for some
years lived a life of ideal domestic happiness. But there came a time
when another interest entered into his life. Rumours of fighting reached
him from France; he saw the knights of neighbouring fortresses leading
their troops to the war, and a martial spirit stirred within him. His
wife was not slow to observe that his world was no longer bounded by the
castle-walls of Staufenberg, and she wisely resolved not to stand in the
way of her lord's ambitions, but rather, if possible, to help them to
an honourable realization. So with much labour and skill she made him a
strangely wrought belt, which she gave him at once as a love-token and
a charm to secure success in battle. She concealed her grief at his
departure and bade him farewell bravely.

At the head of his troop the knight rode boldly into France and offered
his services to a distinguished French leader, to whom he soon became
indispensable--so much so, in fact, that the nobleman cast about for a
means of retaining permanently in his train a knight of such skill and
courage. But he could think of nothing with which to tempt the young
man, who was already possessed of gold and lands, till the artless
glances of his youngest daughter gave him his cue. For he saw that
she had lately begun to look with some favour on the simple knight of
Staufenberg, and it occurred to him that the hand of a lady of rank
and beauty would be a very desirable bait. Nor was he mistaken, for the
gaieties of the Frankish court had dazzled the knight, and the offer
of the lady's hand completely turned his head; not that he felt a great
affection for her, but because of the honour done to him. So he accepted
the offer and drowned, as best as he could, the remembrance of his wife
and child at Staufenberg. Nevertheless he sometimes felt that he was not
acting honourably, and at length the struggle between his love for his
wife and his pride and ambition became so severe that he determined to
consult a priest.

The good man crossed himself when he heard the story. "She whom you
married is an evil spirit," said he. "Beneficent spirits do not wed
human beings. It is your duty to renounce her at once and do penance for
your sin." Though he hardly found it possible to believe the priest's
assertion, the knight strove to persuade himself that it was true, and
that he was really acting virtuously in renouncing the water-n