Phantastes, A Faerie Romance

During the short time I remained, my company was, naturally, much

courted by the young nobles. I was in a constant round of gaiety and

diversion, notwithstanding that the court was in mourning. For the

country was so rejoiced at the death of the giants, and so many of their

lost friends had been restored to the nobility and men of wealth, that

the gladness surpassed the grief. "Ye have indeed left your lives to

your people, my great brothers!" I said.

But I was ever and ever haunted by the old shadow, which I had not seen

all the time that I was at work in the tower. Even in the society of the

ladies of the court, who seemed to think it only their duty to make

my stay there as pleasant to me as possible, I could not help being

conscious of its presence, although it might not be annoying me at the

time. At length, somewhat weary of uninterrupted pleasure, and nowise

strengthened thereby, either in body or mind, I put on a splendid suit

of armour of steel inlaid with silver, which the old king had given

me, and, mounting the horse on which it had been brought to me, took my

leave of the palace, to visit the distant city in which the lady dwelt,

whom the elder prince had loved. I anticipated a sore task, in conveying

to her the news of his glorious fate: but this trial was spared me, in a

manner as strange as anything that had happened to me in Fairy Land.