sake of others and thus lacked true sympathy or
altruism. Thrust out of the Castle--like Parzival--he wandered through
a blighted country, where he met the Loathley Damsel, who in
punishment for her sins was turned loose into the world to work evil
to men. She hotly reviled Galahad for not having asked the momentous
question, and the youth, learning thus in what way he had been
wanting, solemnly vowed to return to the castle and atone for his
omission.

But meantime the enchanted Castle had vanished, and Galahad, the
Champion of Purity,--whose red color he always wears,--travelled
through the world, righting the wrong. He arrived thus at the gate of
a castle defended by seven knights,--the Seven Deadly Sins,--with whom
he struggled to such good purpose that he defeated them, and was free
to enter into the Castle of the Maidens, or place where the Active
Virtues have long been kept in durance vile. But, the door still being
locked, Galahad was glad to receive the key proffered by an old monk,
who, in the legend, personified Righteousness.

Galahad, the emblem of a pure soul, now penetrated into the castle,
where the maidens blessed him for setting them free, and where he
modestly received their thanks. Among these maidens was Lady
Blanchefleur, Galahad's match in purity, to whom he bade farewell as
soon as their nuptials were solemnized, for he realized The Quest
could be achieved only by a virgin knight.

Once more Galahad rides through the world, and this time he again
finds and enters into the castle of the Grail, where he once more
beholds the Sacred Mysteries. His heart full of sympathy for the
suffering Amfortas, he now overlooks the rules of formal politeness in
his desire to help, and propounds the decisive question. Immediately a
refulgent light shines forth from the veiled Grail in all its
life-giving radiance, and King Amfortas, healed of his sin, and hence
able to see the vessel, dies of joy, just as an angel bears the
priceless treasure away from the Enchanted Castle, where it is no
longer to sojourn.

Longing for the time when he too can see the Grail unveiled, Galahad
remounts his milk-white steed and rides through the world, where
everybody thanks him for freeing the world of the pall of darkness and
sin which has rested upon the land ever since Amfortas, titulary
guardian of the Holy Grail, sinned so grievously. Riding thus, Galahad
comes at last to the sea, where King Solomon's ship awaits him. Thi