Some eyes were discourteously turned on the maiden, but she hardly
saw them, and at any rate her nose was not crooked, nor had her eyes
and mouth changed places, as in the case of the "Loathly Lady." She
heard of the condition on which the lady revealed the secret, and how
King Arthur bound himself to bring a fair young knight to wed the
hideous being. Then when he revealed to his assembled knights -
Then some took up their hawks,
And some took up their hounds,
And some sware they would not marry her
For cities nor for towns.
Glances again went towards the scarred visage, but Grisell was
heedless of them, only listening how Sir Gawaine, Arthur's nephew,
felt that his uncle's oath must be kept, and offered himself as the
bridegroom.
Then after the marriage, when he looked on the lady, instead of the
loathly hag he beheld a fair damsel! And he was told by her that he
might choose whether she should be foul at night and fair by day, or
fair each evening and frightful in the daylight hours. His choice at
first was that her beauty should be for him alone, in his home, but
when she objected that this would be hard on her, since she could
thus never show her face when other dames ride with their lords -
Then buke him gentle Gawayne,
Said, "Lady, that's but a shill;
Because thou art mine own lady
Thou shalt have all thy will."
And his courtesy broke the spell of the stepdame, as the lady related
-
"She witched me, being a fair young lady,
To the green forest to dwell,
And there must I walk in woman's likeness,
Most like a fiend in hell.
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