The king, with gorgeous ceremony, dubbed me knight with his own old hand, in which trembled the sword of his youth.
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.