At length the Knight of
the Sun noticed a place on the giant's neck where the hair seemed less
thick than on the rest of his body, and, dropping his sword, he seized
his dagger and drove it home.

* * * * *

Thus, step by step, fighting giants and beasts every inch of the way,
the Knight of the Sun at last reached the hall of the castle, where the
emperor Trebatius sat by the side of the fair Lindarasse. The spells she
had woven round him were so strong, that for years he had not only never
been outside the castle walls, but had ceased to wish to see the world
again. But, powerful though Lindarasse might be, the Knight of the Sun
did not fear to meet her, as before he had left Babylon the wise
Lyrgander had given him a ring, which preserved him from all
enchantments.

At the entrance of the young man the fair Lindarasse looked up; she knew
who he was and why he had come.

'What is the matter, Wonder of the World?' asked the emperor Trebatius,
raising his head from her lap, where it had been resting.

'I am a dead woman, my good lord,' answered she, 'unless you will slay
me that knight who has forced his way into my castle.'

These words filled the emperor with fury, and the spirit awoke within
him from its long sleep.

'I will teach him manners,' he said grimly, and stalked proudly to the
gallery where his arms had hung for many a day.

Meanwhile the fair Lindarasse, who, in spite of her haughty bearing,
bore a sinking heart, tried both by threats and soft words to persuade
the Knight of the Sun to leave the castle.

'Not till the emperor goes with me!' he answered steadily. 'You took him
from his wife, and if you will not give him back to her I will take
him.'

And Lindarasse ground her teeth, and held her peace for a few moments.
Then she broke into tears and sobs, thinking to move him by these means;
but this method fared no better than the other.

Thus were they standing when the emperor entered the hall, armed
_cap-à-pie_.

Now the knight knew that Trebatius's skill in fight had grown rusty from
want of use, and that as long as he remained inside the castle the
spells which the fair Lindarasse had woven round him would weaken his
arm and confuse his head. So the youth refrained from striking, and with
his shield and sword defended himself the while from the blows which the
emperor dealt in all directions--for his hand no longer followed his
eye. And all the while the Knight of the Sun stepped gently backwards,
drawing Trebatius with him till, after twenty years, the emperor stood
outside the walls, and the enchantment fell from him like a cloak. Then
with a rush the remembrance of his wife, the princess Briane, came back
to him, and in that very moment, though he knew it not, the fair
Lindarasse fell dead in the place where he had left her. For, evil as
she was, she had loved him truly, and felt that he had gone from her for
ever.

So Trebatius was set free by his son, and became a man once more. And
the two journeyed back towards Hungary, to the monastery where the
princess Briane still lived. But on the road an adventure claimed the
Knight of the Sun, so that the emperor alone stood before his wife,
whose heart was almost broken with joy at the sight of him.

As for their two sons, the Knight of the Sun and his brother Rosiclair,
who was also known as the Knight of Love, no such deeds had been wrought
as were done by them since the days of Lancelot and the Round Table.

[_L'Histoire Admirable du Chevalier du Soleil._ Traduite de l'Espagnol
par Louis Douet.]




Transcriber's Note


The use of parentheses and brackets around the sources for the stories
was inconsistent. The original usage has been maintained.

The following changes were made:

Page Error
Frontispiece HALGERDA changed to HALLGERDA
50 his own deathblow changed to his own death-blow
119 unwillingly, but changed to unwillingly, 'but
159 and tell the changed to 'and tell the
179 answered Sancho Panzo changed to answered Sancho Panza
191 men, but we changed to men, 'but we
191 off his back changed to off her back
204 to one side. changed to to one side.'
215 be so worth changed to be so wroth
257 marvels; but changed to marvels; 'but
271 head of Sir Murdour. changed to head of Sir Murdour,
289 of news awating changed to of news awaiting
335 and mighty arm, changed to and mighty arm,'
346 safe from him changed to safe from him.
356 half of his kingdom.' changed to half of his kingdom.
364 avenge me. changed to avenge me.'

The following words had inconsistent spelling:

knight-errants / knights-errant
WERWOLF / WER-WOLF