"Ah, chieftain!" said the maiden, "if thou wilt do as I counsel thee, thou wilt shut the door, lest the man should have a plot against thee."
Upon that Gwalchmai arose; and when he came near unto the door the man with sixty others fully armed was ascending the tower. And Gwalchmai defended the door with a chessboard, that none might enter until the man should return from the chase.
And thereupon, behold, the earl arrived. "What is all this?" asked he.
"It is a sad thing," said the hoary-headed man. "The young girl yonder has been sitting and eating with him who slew your father. He is Gwalchmai, the son of Gwyar."
"Hold thy peace, then," said the earl: "I will go in." And the earl was joyful concerning Gwalchmai. "Ha, chieftain!" said he, "it was wrong of thee to come to my court when thou knewest that thou didst slay my father; and, though we cannot avenge him, Heaven will avenge him upon thee."
"My soul," said Gwalchmai, "thus it is. I came not here either to acknowledge or to deny having slain thy father; but I am on a message from Arthur, and therefore do I crave the space of a year until I shall return from my embassy, and then, upon my faith, I will come back unto this palace, and do one of two things,—either acknowledge it, or deny it." And the time was granted him willingly; and he remained there that night. And the next morning he rode forth. And the story relates nothing further of Gwalchmai respecting this adventure.
And Peredur rode forward. And he wandered over the whole island, seeking tidings of the black maiden, and he could meet with none. [And after many days, and great deeds of arms and perilous adventures, at last Peredur met with a certain maiden, and asked her the way to the Castle of Wonders.] Then she said to him, "Go over yonder mountain, and thou wilt find a lake, and in the middle of the lake there is a castle, and that is the castle that is called the Castle of Wonders. And we know not what wonders are therein, but thus is it called."
And Peredur proceeded towards the castle, and the gate of the castle was open. And when he came to the hall, the door was open, and he entered. And he beheld a chessboard in the hall, and the chessmen were playing against each other by themselves. And the side that he favored lost the game, and thereupon the others set up a shout as though they had been living men. And Peredur was wroth, and took the chessmen in his lap, and cast the chessboard into the lake. And when he had done thus, behold, the black maiden came in; and she said to him, "The welcome of Heaven be not unto thee. Thou hadst rather do evil than good."