Now let me take you to my sister."

Then he led Gareth to his sister and left them together, where they told
each other their love, and Gareth kissed her many times, and their
hearts were filled with joy.

"But how is it with the Lady Lioness, to whom you vowed your love?" she
asked.

"Promised; not vowed," he answered. "And she was not ready to accept it,
but gave me a twelvemonth's probation. Moreover, I saw but her face at a
window, and that was little to base love upon."

"Did she look like me?"

"Somewhat, but not half so lovely."

"Do you think you could have loved her so well?"

"No, indeed; for I will vow by sword and spear that there is no woman in
the world so charming as you."

"I fear that the Lady Lioness loves you, and that her heart will be
broken."

"How could she? She saw so little of me."

"I know she loves you; she has told me so. I bid you to forget me and
make her happy."

"That I can never do. You do not love me, or you could not say this."

"You are my heart's desire. But I feel deeply for the Lady Lioness,
whose love I know. If you cannot love her alone, you may love us both
together. I grant you this privilege."

"I will not accept it," said Gareth, looking strangely at her smiling
countenance. "I love but you; my heart can hold no more."

"You blind fellow," she answered, with a merry laugh, "you looked not at
the Lady Lioness closely, or you would not so easily forget your troth
plight. Know, sirrah, that I am the lady of the Castle Dangerous, that
my name is Lioness, and that I am she whom you have so lightly thrown
aside for the love of a strange lady."

Then Gareth looked into her glowing countenance, and saw there that she
spoke the truth and that he had been pleasantly beguiled. With a warm
impulse of love he caught her in his arms and kissed her rosy lips,
exclaiming,--

"I withdraw it all. I love you both; the lady of the Castle Dangerous a
little; but the lady of the Castle Amorous as my heart's mistress, to
dwell there while life remains."

Then they conversed long and joyfully, and she told him why she had made
her brother steal the dwarf, and why she had deceived him, so as to win
his love for herself alone. And they plighted their troth, and vowed
that their love for each other should never cease.

Other strange things happened to Gareth in that castle, through the
spells of the damsel Linet, who knew something of sorcery. But these we
shall not tell, but r