s the shepherd gave a cry:

'O men, be warned and turn back while there is yet time. Others have
gone on that quest, but none have escaped to tell the tale,' and he rose
to his feet as if to leave them. Then Kilwch held out to him a ring of
gold, and he tried to put it on his finger, but it was too small, so he
placed it in his glove, and went home and gave it to his wife.

'Whence came this ring?' asked she, 'for such good luck is not wont to
befall thee.'

'The man to whom this ring belonged thou shalt see here in the evening,'
answered the shepherd; 'he is Kilwch, son of Kilydd, cousin to king
Arthur, and he has come to seek Olwen.' And when the wife heard that she
knew that Kilwch was her nephew, and her heart yearned after him, half
with joy at the thought of seeing him, and half with sorrow for the doom
she feared.

[Illustration: FAIR OLWEN ARRIVES]

Soon they heard steps approaching, and Kai and the rest entered into
the house and ate and drank. After that the woman opened a chest, and
out of it came a youth with curling yellow hair.

'It is a pity to hide him thus,' said Gwrhyr, 'for well I know that he
has done no evil.'

'Three and twenty of my sons has Yspaddaden slain, and I have no more
hope of saving this one,' replied she, and Kai was full of sorrow and
answered:

'Let him come with me and be my comrade, and he shall never be slain
unless I am slain also.' And so it was agreed.

'What is your errand here?' asked the woman.

'We seek Olwen the maiden for this youth,' answered Kai; 'does she ever
come hither so that she may be seen?'

'She comes every Saturday to wash her hair, and in the vessel where she
washes she leaves all her rings, and never does she so much as send a
messenger to fetch them.'

'Will she come if she is bidden?' asked Kai, pondering.

'She will come; but unless you pledge me your faith that you will not
harm her I will not fetch her.'

'We pledge it,' said they, and the maiden came.

* * * * *

A fair sight was she in a robe of flame-coloured silk, with a collar of
ruddy gold about her neck, bright with emeralds and rubies. More yellow
was her head than the flower of the broom, and her skin was whiter than
the foam of the wave, and fairer were her hands than the blossom of the
wood anemone. Four white trefoils sprang up where she trod, and
therefore was she called Olwen.

She entered, and sat down on a bench beside Kilwch, and he sp