s own chamber and made ready to depart. At the
dawn he set out, but he did not go back to the castle, for his heart was
heavy, but he wandered far into wild places till his body was weak and
thin, and his hair was long. The wild beasts were his friends, and he
slept by their side, but in the end he longed to see the face of a man
again, and he came down into a valley and fell asleep by a lake in the
lands of a widowed countess.

Now it was the time when the countess took her walk, attended by her
maidens, and when they saw a man lying by the lake they shrank back in
terror, for he lay so still that they thought he was dead. But when they
had overcome their fright, they drew near him, and touched him, and saw
that there was life in him. Then the countess hastened to the castle,
and brought from it a flask of precious ointment and gave it to one of
her maidens.

'Take that horse which is grazing yonder,' she said, 'and a suit of
men's garments, and place them near the man, and pour some of this
ointment near his heart. If there is any life in him that will bring it
back. But if he moves, hide thyself in the bushes near by, and see what
he does.'

The damsel took the flask and did her mistress' bidding. Soon the man
began to move his arms, and then rose slowly to his feet. Creeping
forward step by step he took the garments from off the saddle and put
them on him, and painfully he mounted the horse. When he was seated the
damsel came forth and greeted him, and glad was he when he saw her, and
inquired what castle that was before him.

'It belongs to a widowed countess,' answered the maiden. 'Her husband
left her two earldoms, but it is all that remains of her broad lands,
for they have been torn from her by a young earl, because she would not
marry him.'

'That is a pity,' replied Owen, but he said no more, for he was too weak
to talk much. Then the maiden guided him to the castle, and kindled a
fire, and brought him food. And there he stayed and was tended for three
months, till he was handsomer than ever he was.

At noon one day Owen heard a sound of arms outside the castle, and he
asked of the maiden what it was.

'It is the earl of whom I spoke to thee,' she answered, 'who has come
with a great host to carry off my mistress.'

'Beg of her to lend me a horse and armour,' said Owen, and the maiden
did so, but the countess laughed somewhat bitterly as she answered:

'Nay, but I will _give_ them to him, and such