maiden. And they conversed together, while the
maiden was at the town. And, behold! the maiden came back, and a youth
with her, bearing on his back a costrel full of good purchased mead and a
quarter of a young bullock. And in the hands of the maiden was a
quantity of white bread, and she had some manchet bread in her veil, and
she came into the chamber. "I could not obtain better than this," said
she, "nor with better should I have been trusted." "It is good enough,"
said Geraint. And they caused the meat to be boiled; and when their food
was ready, they sat down. And it was in this wise; Geraint sat between
the hoary-headed man and his wife, and the maiden served them. And they
ate and drank.

And when they had finished eating, Geraint talked with the hoary-headed
man, and he asked him in the first place, to whom belonged the Palace
that he was in. "Truly," said he, "it was I that built it, and to me
also belonged the city and the castle which thou sawest." "Alas!" said
Geraint, "how is it that thou hast lost them now?" "I lost a great
Earldom as well as these," said he, "and this is how I lost them. I had
a nephew, the son of my brother, and I took his possessions to myself;
and when he came to his strength, he demanded of me his property, but I
withheld it from him. So he made war upon me, and wrested from me all
that I possessed." "Good, Sir," {15} said Geraint, "wilt thou tell me
wherefore came the knight, and the lady, and the dwarf, just now into the
town, and what is the preparation which I saw, and the putting of arms in
order." "I will do so," said he. "The preparations are for the game
that is to be held to-morrow by the young Earl, which will be on this
wise. In the midst of a meadow which is here, two forks will be set up,
and upon the two forks a silver rod, and upon the silver rod a Sparrow-
Hawk, and for the Sparrow-Hawk there will be a tournament. And to the
tournament will go all the array thou didst see in the city, of men, and
of horses, and of arms. And with each man will go the lady he loves
best; and no man can joust for the Sparrow-Hawk, except the lady he loves
best be with him. And the knight that thou sawest has gained the Sparrow-
Hawk these two years; and if he gains it the third year, they will, from
that time, send it every year to him, and he himself will come here no
more. And he will be called the knight of the Sparrow-Hawk from that
time forth." "Sir," said Gerain