thou shalt,” said he. So he took her with
him to the table against her will, and many times
desired her to eat. “I call Heaven to witness,”
said she, “that I will not until the man that
is upon yonder bier shall eat likewise.”
“Thou canst not fulfil that,” said the
earl, “yonder man is dead already.”
“I will prove that I can,” said she.
Then he offered her a goblet of liquor. “Drink
this goblet,” he said, “and it will cause
thee to change thy mind.” “Evil betide
me,” she answered, “if I drink aught until
he drink also.” “Truly,” said
the earl, “it is of no more avail for me to
be gentle with thee than ungentle.” And
he gave her a box in the ear. Thereupon she raised
a loud and piercing shriek, and her lamentations were
much greater than they had been before; for she considered
in her mind, that, had Geraint been alive, he durst
not have struck her thus. But, behold, at the
sound of her cry, Geraint revived from his swoon,
and he sat upon the bier; and finding his sword in
the hollow of his shield, he rushed to the place where
the earl was, and struck him a fiercely-wounding,
severely-venomous, and sternly-smiting blow upon the
crown of his head, so that he clove him in twain,
until his sword was staid by the table. Then
all left the board and fled away. And this was
not so much through fear of the living, as through
the dread they felt at seeing the dead man rise up
to slay them. And Geraint looked upon Enid, and
he was grieved for two causes; one was to see that
Enid had lost her color and her wonted aspect; and
the other, to know that she was in the right.
“Lady,” said he, “knowest thou where
our horses are?” “I know, lord, where thy
horse is,” she replied, “but I know not
where is the other. Thy horse is in the house
yonder.” So he went to the house, and brought
forth his horse, and mounted him, and took up Enid,
and placed her upon the horse with him. And he
rode forward. And their road lay between two
hedges; and the night was gaining on the day.
And lo! they saw behind them the shafts of spears
betwixt them and the sky, and they heard the tramping
of horses, and the noise of a host approaching.
“I hear something following us,” said he,
“and I will put thee on the other side of the
hedge.” And thus he did. And thereupon,
behold a knight pricked towards him, and couched his
lance. When Enid saw this, she cried out, saying,
“O chieftain, whoever thou art, what renown
wilt thou gain by slaying a dead man?” “O
Heaven!” said he, “is it Geraint?”
“Yes, in truth,” said she; “and
who art thou?” “I am Gwiffert Petit,”
said he, “thy husband’s ally, coming to
thy assistance, for I heard that thou wast in trouble.
Come with me to the court of a son-in-law of my sister,
which is near here, and thou shalt have the best medical
assistance in the kingdom.” “I will
do so gladly,” said Geraint. And Enid was
placed upon the horse of one of Gwiffert’s squires,
and they went forward to the baron’s palace.
And they were received there with gladness, and they