CHAPTER VIII.
THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING.
The fresh light of the morning awoke the young married pair.
Wonderful and horrible dreams had disturbed Huldbrand's rest; he had been haunted by spectres, who, grinning at him by stealth, had tried to disguise themselves as beautiful women, and from beautiful women they all at once assumed the faces of dragons, and when he started up from these hideous visions, the moonlight shone pale and cold into the room; terrified he looked at Undine, who still lay in unaltered beauty and grace.

Then he would press a light kiss upon her rosy lips, and would fall asleep again only to be awakened by new terrors.

After he had reflected on all this, now that he was fully awake, he reproached himself for any doubt that could have led him into error with regard to his beautiful wife.

He begged her to forgive him for the injustice he had done her, but she only held out to him her fair hand, sighed deeply, and remained silent.

But a glance of exquisite fervor beamed from her eyes such as he had never seen before, carrying with it the full assurance that Undine bore him no ill-will.