When supper was over, Geraint turned to the Earl. "Who is this Sparrow-hawk of whom all the townspeople chatter? Yet if he should be the knight of the white fortress, do not tell me his real name. That I must find out for myself." And he told the Earl that he was Prince Geraint, and that he had come to punish the knight, because he allowed his dwarf to be so rude to the Queen's messengers.

The Earl was glad when he heard his guest's name. "I have often told Enid of your noble deeds and wonderful adventures," he said, "and when I stopped, she would call to me to go on. She loves to hear of the noble deeds of Arthur's knights. But now I will tell you about the Sparrow-hawk. He lives in the white fortress, and he is my nephew. He is a fierce and cruel man, and when I would not allow him to marry Enid, he hated me, and made the people believe I was unkind to him. He said I had stolen his father's money from him. And the people believed him," said the Earl, "and were full of rage against me. One evening, just before Enid's birthday, three years ago, they broke into our home, and turned us out, and took away all our treasures. Then the Sparrow-hawk built himself the white fortress for safety, but us he keeps in this old half-ruined castle."

"Give me arms," said Geraint, "and I will fight this knight in to-morrow's tournament."

"Arms I can give you," said the Earl, "though they are old and rusty; but you cannot fight to-morrow." And the Earl told Geraint that the Sparrow-hawk gave a prize at the tournament. "But every knight who fights to-morrow must have a lady with him," said the Earl, "so that if he wins the prize in fair fight from the Sparrow-hawk, he may give it to her. But you have no lady to whom you could give the prize, so you will not be allowed to fight."

"Let me fight as your beautiful Enid's knight," said Geraint. "And if I win the prize for her, let me marry her, for I love her more than any one else in all the world."

Then the Earl was pleased, for he knew that if the Prince took Enid away, she would go to a beautiful home. And though the old castle would be more dreary than ever without her, he loved his fair daughter too well to wish to keep her there.

"Her mother will tell Enid to be at the tournament to-morrow," said the Earl, "if she be willing to have you as her knight."

And Enid was willing. And when she slept that night she dreamed of noble deeds and true knights, and always in her dream the face of each knight was like the face of Prince Geraint.

Early in the morning Enid woke her mother, and together they went through the meadows to the place where the tournament was to be held.

And the Earl and Geraint followed, and the Prince wore the Earl's rusty arms, but in spite of these, every one could see that he was a Prince.

A great many lords and ladies and all the townspeople came to see the tournament.

Then the Sparrow-hawk came to the front of the great crowd, and asked if any one claimed his prize. And he thought, "No one here is brave enough to fight with me."

But Geraint was brave, and he called out loudly, "I claim the prize for the fairest lady in the field." And he glanced at Enid in her faded silk dress.

Then, in a great rage, the Sparrrow-hawk got ready for the fight with Enid's champion, and they fought so fiercely that three time they broke their spears. Then they got off their horses, and fought with their swords. And the lords and ladies and all the townspeople marvelled that Geraint was still alive, for the Sparrow-hawk's sword flashed like lightning round the Prince's head.

But Geraint, because he was fighting for the Queen, and to win the gracious Enid for his bride, brought down his sword with all his strength on the Sparrow-hawk's helmet. The blow brought the knight to the ground, and Geraint put his foot on him, and demanded his name.

And all the pride of the Sparrow-hawk was gone because Enid had seen his fall, and he quickly told Geraint his name was Edyrn.

"I will spare your life," said Geraint, "but you must go to the Queen and ask her to forgive you, and you must take the dwarf with you. And you must give back to Earl Yniol his earldom and all his treasures."

Edyrn went to the Queen and she forgave him; and he stayed at the court and grew ashamed of his rough and cruel deeds. At last he began to fight for Arthur, and live ever after as a true knight.

When the tournament was over, Geraint took the prize to Enid, and asked her if she would be his bride, and go to the Queen's court with him the next day. And Enid was glad, and said she would go.

In the morning, Enid lay thinking of her journey. "I have only my faded silk dress to wear," she sighed, and it seemed to her shabbier and more faded than ever, as it hung there in the morning light. "If only I had a few days longer, I would weave myself a dress. I would weave it so delicately that when Geraint took me to the Queen, he would be proud of it," she thought. For in her heart she was afraid that Geraint would be ashamed of the old faded silk, when they reached the court.

And her thoughts wandered back to the evening before her birthday, three long years ago. She could never forget that evening, for it was then that their home had been sacked. Then she thought of the morning of that day when her mother had brought her a beautiful gift. It was a dress, made all of silk, with beautiful silk flowers woven into it. If only she could have worn that, but the robbers had taken it away.

But what had happened? Enid sat up and rubbed her eyes. For at that moment her mother came into the room, and over her arm was the very dress Enid had been thinking of.

"The colours are as bright as ever," said the mother, touching the silk softly. And she told Enid how last night their scattered treasures had been brought back, and how she had found the dress among them.

"I will wear it at once," said Enid, a glad look in her eyes. And with loving hands her mother helped her to put on the old birthday gift.

Downstairs the Earl was telling Geraint that last night the Sparrow-hawk had sent back all their treasures. "Among them is one of Enid's beautiful dresses. At last you will see her dressed as a Princess," said the Earl gladly.

But Geraint remembered that he had first seen and loved Enid in the faded gown, and he thought, "I will ask her to wear it again to-day for my sake.

And Enid loved the Prince so dearly, that when she heard his wish, she took off the beautiful dress she had been so glad to wear, and went down to him in the old silk gown. And when Geraint saw Enid, the gladness in his face made her glad too, and she forgot all about the old dress.

All that day Queen Guinevere sat in a high tower and often glanced out of the window to look for Geraint and his bride. When she saw them riding along the white road, she went down to the gate herself to welcome them. And when the Queen had dressed Enid in soft and shining silk, all the court marvelled at her beauty.

But because Geraint had first seen and loved her in the old faded silk, Enid folded it up with care and put it away among the things she loved.

And a feast was made for the wedding-day, and in great joy Geraint and Enid were married.

Day by day Geraint loved his wife more dearly. And Enid was happy in this strange new life, and she wondered at the merry lords and ladies, and she loved the beautiful Queen, who was so kind to her.

And Geraint was glad that Enid was often with the Queen, till one day he heard some people say that though the Queen was very beautiful, she was not good. And Geraint heard this so often, that he learned to believe it.

"I must take Enid away from the court," he thought, "for she worships the Queen and may grow like her."

So Geraint went to King Arthur, and asked to be allowed to go to his own country. He told the King that robbers trampled down his cornfields, and carried away his cattle. "I wish to go and fight these robbers," he said. And King Arthur allowed him to go.

And Enid left the Queen and the lords and ladies gladly, to go with Geraint.

But all the time Geraint could not help thinking, "Enid is longing for the knights and ladies she knew at the court."

When Geraint reached his own country, he forgot all about the robbers, who were destroying his land. He forgot to go to the hunt, or the tournament, or to look after the poor people. And this was all because he loved Enid so much. He thought, "I will stay with her all day. I will be so kind to her that she will forget the gay lords and ladies, and be happy here, alone with me."

But Enid grew sadder and paler every day. She did not wish Geraint to wait on her and forget every one else. She wanted him to be a true knight.

And the people began to scoff and jeer whenever Geraint's name was spoken. "The Prince is no knight," they said. "The robbers spoil his land and carry off his cattle, but he neither cares nor fights. He does nothing but wait on the fair Lady Enid."

Enid knew what the people said, and she thought, "I must tell Geraint, and then surely he will be ashamed, and become a brave knight once more." But always her courage failed.

"I think I could buckle on his armour and ride with him to battle," thought Enid, "but how can I tell him he is no worthy knight?"

And her tears fell fast, and Geraint coming in, saw her weeping, and thought, "She weeps for the gay lords and ladies of Arthur's court."

Then all at once he hated his idle life. "It has only made Enid despise me," he thought. "We will go together into the wilderness, and I will show her I can still fight" And half in anger and half in sadness he called for his war-horse.

Then Geraint told Enid to put on her oldest dress and ride with him into the wilderness. And because he was angry with himself for thinking that Enid wept for the gay knights and ladies at Arthur's court, he would not ride with her, but told her to go on in front, and "whatever you see or hear, do not speak to me," he said sternly.

Then Enid remembered the old faded silk gown. "I will wear that, for he loved me in it," she thought.