msoever won
that prize, for that day she had put on all the enchantments of beauty
that she possessed. Nevertheless, and in spite of these charms, Sir
Sagron bestowed the prize of beauty, not upon the Lady Vivien, but upon
the Lady Lesolie, who is the countess of this castle where we are.

"Now when the Lady Vivien saw that she was passed over by Sir Sagron,
she took great affront with Lady Lesolie who had been chosen, and vowed
vengeance upon her.

"So afterward by her enchantments she had that slab of stone laid by the
fountain and she ordained that whensoever any one should cast the water
of the fountain upon the slab then there would come a great deluge to
this land. Thereafter she established herself not very far distant from
this valley of the fountain, and whenever a knight cometh by her castle,
that knight she sets upon the adventure of the fountain.

[Sidenote: _Of Sir Sagron of the Fountain._]

"Meantime Sir Sagron had offered himself as champion of the fountain,
undertaking to defend it if the Lady Lesolie would upon her part consent
to wed him and make him lord of this domain. To this the lady was
constrained to say yea. So it was ordained that if Sir Sagron would
defend the fountain without fail or default for the space of a year and
a day, after that time she would give herself and all her domain to him
as the lord thereof. So Sir Sagron hath ever since defended the fountain
with great honor until to-day, when you overcame him in battle, and
pursued him hither wounded unto death. Had he defended a fortnight
longer, he had won his suit with the Lady Lesolie and would have been
lord of this land. But now he will to-morrow awake in Paradise.

"This, Sir Ewaine, is the story of the mystery of the fountain, and now
I tell thee I know not who will defend it unless haply it is thou who
wilt do so."

"Fair damsel," quoth Sir Ewaine, "how may I look to defend the fountain
who will immediately be slain if it be known that I am here?"

To this the damsel laughed and said: "Sir Ewaine, all that may come
about if fortune be with me in these matters I am about to undertake."

Now by this time the darkness being come, the damsel lit two tapers of
perfumed wax, and thereafter she conducted Sir Ewaine into another
apartment. There he beheld a couch, very soft and comfortable and spread
with a coverlet of crimson satin. And the damsel Elose said: "Sir
Ewaine, doubtless thou art aweary. If that be so, here thou mayst