d he, "to the mound, to sit there.
And do thou," said he to the page who tended his horse, "saddle my horse
well, and hasten with him to the road, and bring also my spurs with
thee." And the youth did thus. And they went and sat upon the mound;
and ere they had been there but a short time, they beheld the lady coming
by the same road, and in the same manner, and at the same pace. "Young
man," said Pwyll, "I see the lady coming; give me my horse." And no
sooner had he mounted his horse than she passed him. And he turned after
her and followed her. And he let his horse go bounding playfully, and
thought that at the second step or the third he should come up with her.
But he came no nearer to her than at first. Then he urged his horse to
his utmost speed, yet he found that it availed nothing to follow her.
Then said Pwyll, "O maiden, for the sake of him whom thou best lovest,
stay for me." "I will stay gladly," said she, "and it were better for
thy horse hadst thou asked it long since." So the maiden stopped, and
she threw back that part of her head dress which covered her face. And
she fixed her eyes upon him, and began to talk with him. "Lady," asked
he, "whence comest thou, and whereunto dost thou journey?" "I journey on
mine own errand," said she, "and right glad am I to see thee." "My
greeting be unto thee," said he. Then he thought that the beauty of all
the maidens, and all the ladies that he had ever seen, was as nothing
compared to her beauty. "Lady," he said, "wilt thou tell me aught
concerning thy purpose?" "I will tell thee," said she. "My chief quest
was to seek thee." "Behold," said Pwyll, "this is to me the most
pleasing quest on which thou couldst have come; and wilt thou tell me who
thou art?" "I will tell thee, Lord," said she, "I am Rhiannon, the
daughter of Heveydd Hen, and they sought to give me to a husband against
my will. But no husband would I have, and that because of my love for
thee, neither will I yet have one unless thou reject me. And hither have
I come to hear thy answer." "By Heaven," said Pwyll, "behold this is my
answer. If I might choose among all the ladies and damsels in the world,
thee would I choose." "Verily," said she, "If thou art thus minded, make
a pledge to meet me ere I am given to another." "The sooner I may do so,
the more pleasing will it be unto me," said Pwyll, "and wheresoever thou
wilt, there will I meet with thee." "I will that thou meet me this