ering extreme unction to the Lord Cadoc, who owns the
castle, for he hath been wounded.'

'And who art thou, that thou shouldst save me who am a stranger?' he
asked of the maiden.

'My name is Elined,' said the maiden, 'and since thou bearest the Blue
Stone of the Little Folk, I must aid thee all I can.'

At that time she would tell him no more, but shortly left him to his
rest, saying she would come to attend upon him again at the dawning.

In the silence and darkness of the night Sir Owen awoke by reason of a
woful outcry and lamenting; and then he knew that Earl Cadoc, the
Knight of the Fountain, was dead from the wound he had given him.

Soon after dawn he arose and clothed himself; and looking out of the
window he saw the streets filled with a great host of people in black,
and the weeping and the mourning were pitiful to hear. Knights, with
their armour craped, rode in great companies before; then came the
men-at-arms with weapons reversed; then the ladies of the household,
and after these the priests came, and in their midst was the bier.

And over it was a veil of white linen, and wax tapers burning beside
and around it, and of the gentlemen who supported the bier on their
shoulders none was lower in rank than a powerful baron, owning broad
lands and great companies of retainers.

Last of all there came a lady walking behind the bier. And though her
face was stained with the many tears she had shed, and was pale with
sorrow, Sir Owen thought he had never seen so beautiful a lady, or one
so gentle and kind of mien.

Deeply he sorrowed because he had caused the death of her lord,
inasmuch as it had given her such grief.

Her hair, yellow and long and curled, hung dishevelled about her
shoulders, and her dress of rich yellow satin was torn, and across it
was a wide sash of black velvet. And it was a marvel that she could see
how to walk, for the tears filled her eyes.

Sir Owen could not take his gaze from her, and love and pity for her
filled his mind.

When the procession had passed out of the town the maiden Elined came
into the room, and Sir Owen asked her eagerly who was the lady he had
seen.

'Heaven is my witness,' replied Elined, 'but she is the fairest and the
sweetest and the most noble of women. She is my beloved mistress, and
her name is Carol, and she is Countess of the Fountain, the widow of
him thou didst slay yesterday.'

'I sorrow for that,' said Owen, 'for I have seen her grief. Bu