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"Then she bethought her of a faded silk,
A faded inantle and a faded veil,

And moving toward a cedarn cabinet,
Wherein she kept them folded reverently
With sprigs of summer laid between the folds,
She took them, and array'd herself therein,

Remembering when first he came on her

Drest in that dress, and how he loved her in it,

And all her foolish fears about the dress,

And all his journey to her, as himself

Had told her, and their coming to the court."—Enid.

"I know nothing, lord," said she, "of thy meaning." "Neither wilt thou know at this time,” said he.

Then Geraint went to see Erbin. "Sir," said he, “I am going upon a quest, and I am not certain when I may come back. Take heed, therefore, unto thy possessions until my return." "I will do so," said he; "but it is strange to me that thou shouldst go so suddenly. And who will proceed with thee, since thou art not strong enough to traverse the land of Loegyr alone?'' "But one person only will go with me." "Heaven counsel thee, my son," said Erbin, "and may many attach themselves to thee in Loegyr." Then went Geraint to the place where his horse was, and it was equipped with foreign armor, heavy and shining. And he desired Enid to mount her horse, and to ride forward, and to keep a long way before him.

"I charge you ride before,

Ever a good way on before; and this

I charge you, on your duty as a wife,

Whatever happens, not to speak to me,

No, not a word!' and Enid was aghast."-ENID.

So they set forward. And he did not choose the pleasantest and most frequented road, but that which was the wildest, and most beset by thieves and robbers and venomous animals.

And they came to a high-road, which they followed till they saw a vast forest; and they saw three armed horsemen come forth from the forest. When the armed men saw them, they said one to another, "Here is a good occasion for us to capture two horses and armor, and a lady likewise; for this we shall have no difficulty in doing against yonder single knight, who hangs his head so pensively and heavily." Enid heard this discourse, and she

knew not what she should do through fear of Geraint, who had
told her to be silent. "The vengeance of Heaven be upon me,"
said she, "if I would not rather receive my death from his hand
than from the hand of any other; and though he should slay me,
yet will I speak to him, lest I should have the misery to witness
his death." So she waited for Geraint until he came near to
her. "Lord," said she, "didst thou hear the words of those
men concerning thee?" Then he lifted up his eyes, and looked
at her angrily. 66
Thou hadst only," said he, "to hold thy
peace, as I bade thee.
I wish but for silence, and not for warn-
ing. And though thou shouldst desire to see my defeat and my
death by the hands of those men, yet do I feel no dread."

"Then Enid waited pale and sorrowful,

And down upon him bare the bandit three."-ENID.

Then the foremost of them couched his lance, and rushed upon
Geraint. And he received him, and that not feebly. But he
let the thrust go by him, while he struck the horseman upon the
centre of his shield in such a manner that his shield was split,
and his armor broken, so that a cubit's length of the shaft of
Geraint's lance passed through his body, and sent him to the
earth, the length of the lance over his horse's crupper. Then
the second horseman attacked him furiously, being wroth at the
death of his companion. But with one thrust Geraint overthrew
him also, and killed him as he had done the other. Then the
third set upon him, and he killed him in like manner. Sad and
sorrowful was the maiden as she saw all this. Geraint dismounted
his horse, and took the arms of the men he had slain, and placed
them upon their saddles, and tied together the reins of their
horses; and he mounted his horse again. "Behold what thou
must do," said he; "take the three horses, and drive them be-
fore thee, and proceed forward as I bade thee just now.
And say
not one word unto me, unless I speak first unto thee.
declare unto Heaven," said he, "if thou doest not thus, it will
be to thy cost." "I will do as far as I can, lord," said she,
"according to thy desire."

And I

So the maiden went forward, keeping in advance of Geraint, as he had desired her; and it grieved him as much as his wrath would permit to see a maiden so illustrious as she having so much

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