s bathing, and two attendant maidens stood
near. Now Graelent believed that the lady must be a fairy, and knowing
well that the only way to capture such a being was to seize her
garments, he looked around for these, and seeing them lying upon a
bush he laid hands upon them.

The attendant women at this set up a loud outcry, and the lady herself
turned to where he sat his horse and called him by name.

"Graelent, what do you hope to gain by the theft of my raiment?" she
asked. "Have you, a knight, sunk so low as to behave like a common
pilferer? Take my mantle if you must, but pray spare me my gown."

Graelent laughed at the lady's angry words, and told her that he was
no huckster. He then begged her to don her garments, as he desired to
have speech with her. After her women had attired her, Graelent took
her by the hand and, leading her a little space away from her
attendants, told her that he had fallen deeply in love with her. But
the lady frowned and seemed at first offended.

"You do not know to whom you proffer your love," she said. "Are you
aware that my birth and lineage render it an impertinence for a mere
knight to seek to ally himself with me?"

But Graelent had a most persuasive tongue, and the deep love he had
conceived for the lady rendered him doubly eloquent on this occasion.
At last the fairy-woman, for such she was, was quite carried away by
his words, and granted him the boon he craved.

"There is, however, one promise I must exact from you," she said, "and
that is that never shall you mention me to mortal man. I on my part
shall assist you in every possible manner. You shall never be without
gold in your purse nor costly apparel to wear. Day and night shall I
remain with you, and in war and in the chase will ride by your side,
visible to you alone, unseen by your companions. For a year must you
remain in this country. Now noon has passed and you must go. A
messenger shall shortly come to you to tell you of my wishes."

Graelent took leave of the lady and kissed her farewell. Returning to
his lodgings in the town, he was leaning from the casement considering
his strange adventure when he saw a varlet issuing from the forest
riding upon a palfrey. The man rode up the cobbled street straight to
Graelent's lodgings, where he dismounted and, entering, told the
knight that his lady had sent him with the palfrey as a present, and
begged that he would accept the services of her messenger to take
charg