She durst not venture herself in the forest. She seeth Perceval and so
cometh toward him for protection. She maketh as though she would lie
down on his horse's neck, and he holdeth forth his hands to receive her
there so as that she might not hurt herself, and evermore the hounds
quested. Howbeit the knight crieth out to him, "Sir Knight, let the
beast go and hold her not, for this belongeth neither to you nor to
other, but let her dree her weird."
The beast seeth that no protection hath she. She goeth to the cross,
and forthwith might the hounds no longer be in her, but issued forth
all as it were live hounds, but nought had they of her gentleness nor
her beauty. She humbled herself much among them and crouched on the
ground and made semblant as though she would have cried them mercy, and
gat herself as nigh the cross as she might. The hounds had compassed
her round about and ran in upon her upon all sides and tore her all to
pieces with their teeth, but no power had they to devour her flesh, nor
to remove it away from the cross.