She look’d on ere the coming of Geraint. 
  And still she look’d, and still the terror grew
  Of that strange, bright and dreadful thing, a court,
  All staring at her in her faded silk: 
  And softly to her own sweet heart she said: 

    “This noble prince who won our earldom back,
  So splendid in his acts and his attire,
  Sweet heaven, how much I shall discredit him! 
  Would he could tarry with us here awhile,
  But being so beholden to the Prince,
  It were but little grace in any of us,
  Bent as he seem’d on going this third day,
  To seek a second favor at his hands. 
  Yet if he could but tarry a day or two,
  Myself would work eye dim, and finger lame,
  Far liefer than so much discredit him.”

    And Enid fell in longing for a dress
  All branch’d and flower’d with gold, a costly gift
  Of her good mother, given her on the night
  Before her birthday, three sad years ago. 
  That night of fire, when Edyrn sack’d their house,
  And scatter’d all they had to all the winds: 
  For while the mother show’d it, and the two
  Were turning and admiring it, the work
  To both appear’d so costly, rose a cry
  That Edyrn’s men were on them, and they fled
  With little save the jewels they had on,
  Which being sold and sold had bought them bread: 
  And Edyrn’s men had caught them in their flight,
  And placed them in this ruin; and she wish’d
  The Prince had found her in her ancient home;
  Then let her fancy flit across the past,
  And roam the goodly places that she knew;
  And last bethought her how she used to watch,
  Near that old home, a pool of golden carp;
  And one was patch’d and blurr’d and lustreless
  Among his burnish’d brethren of the pool;
  And half asleep she made comparison
  Of that and these to her own faded self
  And the gay court, and fell asleep again;
  And dreamt herself was such a faded form
  Among her burnish’d sisters of the pool;
  But this was in the garden of a king;
  And tho’ she lay dark in the pool, she knew
  That all was bright; that all about were birds
  Of sunny plume in gilded trellis-work;
  That all the turf was rich in plots that look’d
  Each like a garnet or a turkis in it;
  And lords and ladies of the high court went
  In silver tissue talking things of state;
  And children of the King in cloth of gold
  Glanced at the doors or gambol’d down the walks;
  And while she thought “They will not see me,” came
  A stately queen whose name was Guinevere,
  And all the children in their cloth of gold
  Ran to her, crying, “If we have fish at all
  Let them be gold; and charge the gardeners now
  To pick the faded creature from the pool,
  And cast it on the mixen[5] that it die.” 
  And therewithal one came and seized on her,
  And Enid started waking, with her heart
  All overshadow’d by the foolish dream,
  And lo! it was her mother grasping her
  To get her well awake; and in her hand
  A suit of bright apparel, which she laid
  Flat on the couch, and spoke exultingly: