He was blamed so much on all sides by the knights and
squires that murmurs reached Enide's ears how that her lord had
turned craven about arms and deeds of chivalry, and that his
manner of life was greatly changed. (26) She grieved sorely over
this, but she did not dare to show her grief; for her lord at
once would take affront, if she should speak to him. So the
matter remained a secret, until one morning they lay in bed where
they had had sport together. There they lay in close embrace,
like the true lovers they were. He was asleep, but she was
awake, thinking of what many a man in the country was saying of
her lord. And when she began to think it all over, she could not
keep back the tears. Such was her grief and her chagrin that by
mischance she let fall a word for which she later felt remorse,
though in her heart there was no guile. She began to survey her
lord from head to foot, his well-shaped body and his clear
countenance, until her tears fell fast upon the bosom of her
lord, and she said: "Alas, woe is me that I ever left my country!
What did I come here to seek? The earth ought by right to
swallow me up when the best knight, the most hardy, brave, fair,
and courteous that ever was a count or king, has completely
abjured all his deeds of chivalry because of me.
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