for I know there is no one more faithful in the service of ladies than thou.  Therefore,” quoth she, “whatever is in my power to do for thy release, I will do it.  Take this ring and put it on thy finger, with the stone inside thy hand, and close thy hand upon the stone.  And as long as thou concealest it, it will conceal thee.  When they come forth to fetch thee, they will be much grieved that they cannot find thee.  And I will await thee on the horseblock yonder, and thou wilt be able to see me, though I cannot see thee.  Therefore come and place thy hand upon my shoulder, that I may know that thou art near me.  And by the way that I go hence do thou accompany me.”

Then the maiden went away from Owain, and he did all that she had told him.  And the people of the castle came to seek Owain to put him to death; and when they found nothing but the half of his horse, they were sorely grieved.

And Owain vanished from among them, and went to the maiden, and placed his hand upon her shoulder; whereupon she set off, and Owain followed her, until they came to the door of a large and beautiful chamber, and the maiden opened it, and they went in.  And Owain looked around the chamber, and behold there was not a single nail in it that was not painted with gorgeous colors, and there was not a single panel that had not sundry images in gold portrayed upon it.

The maiden kindled a fire, and took water in a silver bowl, and gave Owain water to wash.  Then she placed before him a silver table, inlaid with gold; upon which was a cloth of yellow linen, and she brought him food.  And, of a truth, Owain never saw any kind of meat that was not there in abundance, but it was better cooked there than he had ever found it in any other place.  And there was not one vessel from which he was served that was not of gold or of silver.  And Owain eat and drank until late in the afternoon, when lo! they heard a mighty clamor in the castle, and Owain asked the maiden what it was.  “They are administering extreme unction,” said she, “to the nobleman who owns the castle.”  And she prepared a couch for Owain which was meet for Arthur himself, and Owain went to sleep.

And a little after daybreak he heard an exceeding loud clamor and wailing, and he asked the maiden what was the cause of it.  “They are bearing to the church the body of the nobleman who owned the castle.”

And Owain rose up, and clothed himself, and opened a window of the chamber, and looked towards the castle; and he could see neither the bounds nor the extent of the hosts that filled the streets.  And they were fully armed; and a vast number of women were with them, both on horseback and on foot, and all the ecclesiastics in the city singing.  In the midst of the throng he beheld the bier, over which was a veil of white linen; and wax tapers were burning beside and around it; and none that supported the bier was lower in rank than a powerful baron.