"If thou art not really there, if thou art only floating about melike a mist, then may I too cease to live and become a shadow likethee, dear, dear Undine!" Thus exclaiming aloud, he again steppeddeeper into the stream. "Look round thee, oh! look round thee,beautiful but infatuated youth!" cried a voice again close besidehim, and looking aside, he saw by the momentarily unveiled moon, alittle island formed by the flood, on which he perceived under theinterweaved branches of the overhanging trees, Undine smiling andhappy, nestling in the flowery grass.

0h! how much more gladly than before did the youthful man now use theaid of his pine-branch!