So he took his leave, and rode many journeys backwards and forwards as adventure would lead him; and at last one day he departed from a castle without first hearing mass, which was it ever his custom to hear before he left his lodging. Anon he found a ruined chapel on a mountain, and went in and kneeled before the altar, and prayed for wholesome counsel what to do; and as he prayed he heard a voice, which said, "Depart, adventurous knight, unto the Maiden's Castle, and redress the violence and wrongs there done!" Hearing these words he cheerfully arose, and mounted his horse, and rode but half a mile, when he saw before him a strong castle, with deep ditches round it, and a fair river running past. And seeing an old churl hard by, he asked him what men called that castle. "Fair sir," said he, "it is the Maiden's Castle." "It is a cursed place," said Galahad, "and all its masters are but felons, full of mischief and hardness and shame." "For that good reason," said the old man, "thou wert well-advised to turn thee back." "For that same reason," quoth Sir Galahad, "will I the more certainly ride on." Then, looking at his armor carefully, to see that nothing failed him, he went forward, and presently there met him seven damsels, who cried out, "Sir knight, thou ridest in great peril, for thou hast two waters to pass over." "Why should I not pass over them?" said he, and rode straight on. Anon he met a squire, who said, "Sir knight, the masters of this castle defy thee, and bid thee go no further, till thou showest them thy business here." "Fair fellow," said Sir Galahad, "I am come here to destroy their wicked customs." "If that be thy purpose," answered he, "thou wilt have much to do." "Go thou," said Galahad, "and hasten with my message." In a few minutes after rode forth furiously from the gateways of the castle seven knights, all brothers, and crying out, "Knight, keep thee," bore down all at once upon Sir Galahad. But thrusting forth his spear, he smote the foremost to the earth, so that his neck was almost broken, and warded with his shield the spears of all the others, which every one brake off from it, and shivered into pieces. Then he drew out his sword, and set upon them hard and fiercely, and by his wondrous force drave them before him, and chased them to the castle gate, and there he slew them. At that came out to him an ancient man, in priest's vestments, saying, "Behold, sir, here, the keys of this castle." Then he unlocked the gates, and found within a multitude of people, who cried out, "Sir knight, ye be welcome, for long have we waited thy deliverance," and told him that the seven felons he had slain had long enslaved the people round about, and killed all knights who passed that way, because the maiden whom they had robbed of the castle had foretold that by one knight they should themselves be overthrown. "Where is the maiden?" asked Sir Galahad. "She lingereth below in a dungeon," said they.