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 eat 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 up on 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 stayed 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 colour 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 from the ground, 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 trampling 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, "Oh! chieftain,
whoever thou art, what renown wilt thou gain by slaying a dead man?" "O