“Hold thy peace, then,” replied Geraint. “Do not I desire silence?”
Straightway the three knights attacked Geraint, but they fared no better than the others had done before; for he slew them all, and added their arms and horses to the other spoil which was in Enid’s charge. Yet again, when they were nearly across the plain, did Enid break silence to warn her lord of five horsemen who were preparing to attack him; and he was exceedingly wrathful, and rebuked her sorely. But he slew all the five robbers, and added their arms and horsey to the others. Then they rode toward a wood, there to pass the night, and even in his anger Geraint was troubled at heart to see so fair and tender a woman as Enid toiling to guide so many horses. In the wood Geraint slept all night; but he bade Enid watch, and she obeyed him.
In the morning they came to a fair city, and there Geraint hired a lodging, and had all his horses stabled. He commanded Enid to sit on the side of the chamber opposite to where he sat. Then both of them slept; and when they awoke, the earl to whom the city belonged, and who had been told of the arrival of this stranger knight with a passing fair lady and many horses and much spoil, came to visit Geraint, bringing with him twelve knights; and his name was the Earl Doorm. He asked Geraint the object of his journey. “I have none,” said he, “but to seek adventures and follow my own inclination.” Then the earl saw Enid where she sat apart, and he thought he had never seen so comely a maiden as she. So he said to Geraint, “Have I thy permission to go and converse with yonder maiden?”
“Thou hast it gladly,” he answered.
Then the earl went to her, and said, “Fair maiden, it cannot be pleasant to thee to travel thus with yonder knight.”
“It is not unpleasant to me to journey with him,” she answered.
“I will give thee good counsel,” he said; for her beauty inflamed him exceedingly. “All my earldom shall be at thy disposal if thou wilt dwell with me.”
“That will I not,” she replied. “Am I to be faithless to my lord?”
“Thou art foolish,” quoth he. “If I slay thy lord, I can take thee with me in thine own despite, and turn thee away when I please. But if thou wilt go with me of thine own goodwill, I swear that I will remain true to thee as long as I may live.”
Then Enid took counsel with herself how she might save her lord. So she said to the earl, “Then must you, to save me from any needless shame, come, here to-morrow, and take me away as though I knew nothing of the matter.”