valley upon thee and upon thy heirs after thee for ever." Then they
went in, and the grey man and the tall woman saluted Peredur. And
the grey man said unto him, "Since I have possessed this valley I
have not seen any Christian depart with his life, save thyself. And
we will go to do homage to Arthur, and to embrace the faith and be
baptized." Then said Peredur, "To Heaven I render thanks that I have
not broken my vow to the lady that best I love, which was, that I
would not speak one word unto any Christian."

That night they tarried there. And the next day, in the morning, the
grey man, with his company, set forth to Arthur's Court; and they did
homage unto Arthur, and he caused them to be baptized. And the grey
man told Arthur that it was Peredur that had vanquished them. And
Arthur gave the valley to the grey man and his company, to hold it of
him as Peredur had besought. And with Arthur's permission, the grey
man went back to the Round Valley.

Peredur rode forward next day, and he traversed a vast tract of
desert, in which no dwellings were. And at length he came to a
habitation, mean and small. And there he heard that there was a
serpent that lay upon a gold ring, and suffered none to inhabit the
country for seven miles around. And Peredur came to the place where
he heard the serpent was. And angrily, furiously, and desperately
fought he with the serpent; and at last he killed it, and took away
the ring. And thus he was for a long time without speaking a word to
any Christian. And therefrom he lost his colour and his aspect,
through extreme longing after the Court of Arthur, and the society of
the lady whom best he loved, and of his companions. Then he
proceeded forward to Arthur's Court, and on the road there met him
Arthur's household going on a particular errand, with Kai at their