When the White Knight had thus spoken he vanished suddenly away, and Sir Galahad returned to the abbey.

As he alighted, came a monk, and prayed him to go see a tomb in the churchyard, wherefrom came such a great and hideous noise, that none could hear it but they went nigh mad, or lost all strength.  “And sir,” said he, “I deem it is a fiend.”

“Lead me thither,” said Sir Galahad.

When they were come near the place, “Now,” said the monk, “go thou to the tomb, and lift it up.”

And Galahad, nothing afraid, quickly lifted up the stone, and forthwith came out a foul smoke, and from the midst thereof leaped up the loathliest figure that ever he had seen in the likeness of man; and Galahad blessed himself, for he knew it was a fiend of hell.  Then he heard a voice crying out, “Oh, Galahad, I cannot tear thee as I would; I see so many angels round thee, that I may not come at thee.”

[Illustration:  Galahad ... quickly lifted up the stone, and forthwith came out a foul smoke.]

Then the fiend suddenly disappeared with a marvellous great cry; and Sir Galahad, looking in the tomb, saw there a body all armed, with a sword beside it.  “Now, fair brother,” said he to the monk, “let us remove this cursed body, which is not fit to lie in a churchyard, for when it lived, a false and perjured Christian man dwelt in it.  Cast it away, and there shall come no more hideous noises from the tomb.”

“And now must I depart,” he added, “for I have much in hand, and am upon the holy quest of the Sangreal, with many more good knights.”

So he took his leave, and rode many journeys backwards and forwards as adventure would lead him; and at last one day he departed from a castle without first hearing mass, which was it ever his custom to hear before he left his lodging.  Anon he found a ruined chapel on a mountain, and went in and kneeled before the altar, and prayed for wholesome counsel what to do; and as he prayed he heard a voice, which said, “Depart, adventurous knight, unto the Maiden’s Castle, and redress the violence and wrongs there done!”

Hearing these words he cheerfully arose, and mounted his horse, and rode but half a mile, when he saw before him a strong castle, with deep ditches round it, and a fair river running past.  And seeing an old churl hard by, he asked him what men called that castle.

“Fair sir,” said he, “it is the Maiden’s Castle.”

“It is a cursed place,” said Galahad, “and all its masters are but felons, full of mischief and hardness and shame.”

“For that good reason,” said the old man, “thou wert well-advised to turn thee back.”

“For that same reason,” quoth Sir Galahad, “will I the more certainly ride on.”

Then, looking at his armour carefully, to see that nothing failed him, he went forward, and presently there met him seven damsels, who cried out, “Sir knight, thou ridest in great peril, for thou hast two waters to pass over.”