g. 'The
stainless knight,' they said, 'shall gain from evil greater strength,
and with it he may confound all evil.'

'If it be thus fated,' he said, 'I will go with thee. But first thou
shalt swear that no evil shall happen to the lady of this castle nor to
her daughter, nor to any that belong to them.'

'It shall be so,' said the witch, 'if, when the time comes, thou art
strong enough to overcome my power. But if thou failest, Angharad is
mine to do with as I will.'

Then Perceval took leave of the lady of the Castle of Weeds, and of
Angharad. And the lady thanked him with tears for saving their lives,
but the girl was cold and scornful and said no word of thanks. Then
Perceval went with the witches to their Castle of Glaive.

He stayed with them for a year and a day, learning such knowledge of
arms, and gaining such strength, that it was marvel to see the feats
which he performed. And while he lived with them they strove to bend
him to their wills, for they saw how great a knight he would become in
prowess and in knightly deeds. They tempted him every hour and every
day, telling him what earthly power, what riches and what great
dominions would be his, if he would but swear fealty to the chief
witch, Domna, and fight for her against King Arthur and his proud
knights.

Perceval prayed daily for strength to withstand the poison of their
tongues, and evermore he held himself humble and gentle, and thought
much of his widowed mother in her lonely home in the northern wastes,
and of the promise he had made her. Sometimes he thought of Angharad,
how beautiful she was, and how sad it was that she had so cold a heart,
and was so cruel in her words.

Anon the witch Domna came to him, and said that he had now learned all
that she could teach him, and he must go and prove himself against
greater powers than he had ever yet known. If he prevailed not in that
battle, the ladies of the Castle of Weeds would become the prey of the
witches, and greater power of evil would they have in the world than
ever before. Then she gave him a horse and a full suit of black armour.

So Perceval took the horse, and armed himself and rode forth. And anon
he came to a hermit's cell beside a ruined chapel, and he alighted and
went into the chapel, and stripped himself, and laid all his armour,
his lance, and his sword, before the high altar.

Prayerfully he gave his arms to the service of God, and devoted them
one by one to do only knight