Cornwall (England : County) -- Fiction; Short stories
The three knights now, seeing the sweat upon his white face and the
looks he cast towards them, would have broken in and freed him: but
they, too, were by enchantment held there in the doorway. So, with
their eyes starting, they must needs stay there and watch; and while
they stood the boards became as molten brass under Sir Dinar's feet,
and the hag slowly withered in his embrace; and still the music
played, and the other dancers cast him never a look as he whirled
round and round again. But at length, with never a stay in the
music, his partner's feet trailed heavily, and, bending forward, she
shook her white locks clear of her gaunt eyes, and laughed a third
time, bringing her lips close to his. And the poison of death was in
her lips as she set them upon his mouth. With that kiss there was a
crash. The lights went out, and the music died away in a wail: and
the three knights by the door were caught away suddenly and stunned
by a great wind.
Awaking, they found themselves lying in the glade where they had come
upon the three red pavilions. Their horses were cropping at the
turf, beside them, and Sir Dinar's horse stood in sight, a little way
off. But Sir Dinar was already deep in the forest, twirling and
spinning among the rotten leaves, and on his arm hung a corrupting
corpse. For a whole day they sought him and found him not (for he
heard nothing of their shouts), and towards evening mounted and rode
forward after the Sancgrael; on which quest they died, all three,
each in his turn.
But Sir Dinar remained, and twirled and skipped till the body he held
was a skeleton; and still he twirled, till it dropped away piecemeal;
and yet again, till it was but a stain of dust on his ragged sleeve.
Before this his hair was white and his face wizened with age.
But on a day a knight in white armour came riding through the forest,
leaning somewhat heavily on his saddle-bow: and was aware of an old
decrepit man that ran towards him, jigging and capering as if for
gladness, yet caught him by the stirrup and looked up with rheumy
tears in his eyes.
"In God's name, who art thou?" asked the knight. He, too, was past
his youth; but his face shone with a marvellous glory.
"I am young Sir Dinar, that was made a knight of the Round Table but
five days before Pentecost. And I know thee. Thou art Sir Galahad,
who shouldst win the Sancgrael: therefore by Christ's power rid me of
this enchantment."
"I have not won it yet," Sir Galahad answered, sighing. "Yet, poor
comrade, I may do something for thee, though I cannot stay thy
dancing."
So he stretched out his hand and touched Sir Dinar: and by his touch
Sir Dinar became a withered leaf of the wood. And when mothers and
nurses see him dancing before the wind, they tell this story of him
to their children.
II.--"FLOWING SOURCE."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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