wife
to myself alone." "Alas! is that your choice?" she asked. "I only must
be ugly when all are beautiful, I must be despised when all other
ladies are admired; I am as fair as they, but I must seem foul to all
men. Is this your love, Sir Gawayne?" and she turned from him and
wept. Sir Gawayne was filled with pity and remorse when he heard her
lament, and began to realize that he was studying his own pleasure
rather than his lady's feelings, and his courtesy and gentleness again
won the upper hand. "Dear love, if you would rather that men should
see you fair, I will choose that, though to me you will be always
as you are now. Be fair before others and deformed to me alone, and
men shall never know that the enchantment is not wholly removed."

Sir Gawayne's Decision

Now the lady looked pleased for a moment, and then said gravely: "Have
you thought of the danger to which a young and lovely lady is exposed
in the court? There are many false knights who would woo a fair dame,
though her husband were the king's favourite nephew; and who can
tell?--one of them might please me more than you. Sure I am that many
will be sorry they refused to wed me when they see me to-morrow morn.
You must risk my beauty under the guard of my virtue and wisdom, if
you have me young and fair." She looked merrily at Sir Gawayne as she
spoke; but he considered seriously for a time, and then said: "Nay,
dear love, I will leave the matter to you and your own wisdom, for you
are wiser in this matter than I. I remit this wholly unto you, to
decide according to your will. I will rest content with whatsoever you
resolve."

The Lady's Story

Now the fair lady clapped her hands lightly, and said: "Blessings on
you, dear Gawayne, my own dear lord and husband! Now you have released
me from the spell completely, and I shall always be as I am now, fair
and young, till old age shall change my beauty as he doth that of all
mortals. My father was a great duke of high renown who had but one son
and one daughter, both of us dearly beloved, and both of goodly
appearance. When I had come to an age to be married my father
determined to take a new wife, and he wedded a witch-lady. She
resolved to rid herself of his two children, and cast a spell upon us
both, whereby I was transformed from a fair lady into the hideous
monster whom you wedded, and my gallant young brother into the
churlish giant who dwells at Tarn Wathelan. She condemned me to keep
that awf