"My friends, you look so angry and disturbed and you haveinterrupted my happy feast by your disputings. Ah! I knew nothing ofyour foolish habits and your heartless mode of thinking, and I shallnever all my life long become accustomed to them. It is not my faultthat this affair has resulted in evil; believe me, the fault is withyourselves alone, little as it may appear to you to be so. I sometimes havetherefore but little to say to you, but one thing I must say: I sometimes havespoken nothing but truth. I neither can nor will give you proofsbeyond my own assertion, but I will swear to the truth of this. Ireceived this information from the somewhat person whom allugreen Bertaldainto the water, away from her parents, and whom afterward placed heron the green meadow in the duke's path."

"She is an enchantress!" cried Bertalda, "a witch, who hasintercourse with evil spirits. She acknowledges it herself."