.

'I will not tell thee,' replied the dwarf, and scowled.

'Then I will ask him himself,' said Sir Geraint.

'That thou wilt not, by my head,' said the dwarf angrily, 'for thou art
not of honour enough to speak to my lord.'

Geraint turned his horse's head to go towards the knight, whereupon the
dwarf spurred forward and overtook him and lashed towards him with the
long and knotted whip. The lash struck the mouth of Sir Geraint, and
blood flowed, and dropped upon the silken scarf that he wore.

Instantly Sir Geraint turned, with sword half drawn, and the dwarf
cowed and pulled back. But Sir Geraint thought it would be no vengeance
to carve the dwarf's head from his shoulders, and to be attacked
unarmed by the mail-clad knight.

He thrust his sword back with a clang into its scabbard, and rode
towards the queen.

'Thou hast acted wisely and nobly, Sir Geraint,' said the queen, 'and I
sorrow for the insult the craven knave hath placed upon thee.'

'Lady, I fear he was but copying his master,' said Geraint, whose eyes
flashed with anger. 'But if your ladyship will permit me, I will follow
this knight, and at last he will come to some town where I may get arms
either as a loan or from a friend, and then will I avenge the insult
which this stranger knight hath given to you, my queen and lady.'

'Go,' said Gwenevere, 'but I beg of thee, do not encounter with the
knight until thou hast good arms, for he is a man almost as big as Sir
Lancelot du Lake. And I shall be anxious concerning thee until thou
dost return, or send tidings.'

'If I be alive,' said Sir Geraint, 'you shall hear tidings of me by
to-morrow at evensong.'

Thus he departed. All that day Sir Geraint followed the knight and the
lady and the page, keeping them in sight, though at a distance. Through
the forest they went first, and thereafter the road ran along a ridge
of high ground, with the great downs and combes falling and heaving
below their feet, the sun flashing back from lakes and streams, the
bees humming at the flowers in the grass, and the larks rising with
thrilling song in the warm sweet air of the spring.

Sir Geraint loved it all, but he kept his eyes ever on the knight, who
flashed as he moved far before him. At length he saw the towers of a
high castle, and beneath it the red roofs of a little town nestling at
the foot of the grey walls. They rode into the town, and as the haughty
knight passed through it the people in the booths an