vance of Geraint, as he had desired her; and it grieved him as much
as his wrath would permit, to see a maiden so illustrious as she having
so much trouble with the care of the horses. Then they reached the wood,
and it was both deep and vast; and in the wood night overtook them. "Ah,
maiden," said he, "it is vain to attempt proceeding forward!" "Well,
Lord," said she, "whatsoever thou wishest, we will do." "It will be best
for us," he answered, "to turn out of the wood, and to rest, and wait for
the day, in order to pursue our journey." "That will we, gladly," said
she. And they did so. Having dismounted himself, he took her down from
her horse. "I cannot, by any means, refrain from sleep, through
weariness," said he. "Do thou, therefore, watch the horses, and sleep
not." "I will, Lord," said she. Then he went to sleep in his armour,
and thus passed the night, which was not long at that season. And when
she saw the dawn of day appear, she looked around her, to see if he were
waking, and thereupon he woke. "My Lord," she said, "I have desired to
awake thee for some time." But he spake nothing to her about fatigue,
{40} as he had desired her to be silent. Then he arose, and said unto
her, "Take the horses, and ride on; and keep straight on before thee as
thou didst yesterday." And early in the day they left the wood, and they
came to an open country, with meadows on one hand, and mowers mowing the
meadows. And there was a river before them, and the horses bent down,
and drank the water. And they went up out of the river by a lofty steep;
and there they met a slender stripling, with a satchel about his neck,
and they saw that there was something in the satchel, but they knew not
what it was. And he had a small blue pitcher in his hand, and a bowl on
the mouth of the pitcher. And the youth saluted Geraint. "Heaven
prosper thee," said Geraint, "and whence dost thou come?" "I come," said
he, "from the city that lies before thee. My Lord," he added, "will it
be displeasing to thee, if I ask whence thou comest also?" "By no
means--through yonder wood did I come." "Thou camest not through the
wood to-day." "No," he replied, "we were in the wood last night." "I
warrant," said the youth, "that thy condition there last night was not
the most pleasant, and that thou hadst neither meat nor drink." "No, by
my faith," said he. "Wilt thou follow my counsel," said the youth, "and
take thy meal from me?" "What