Part 22 (1/2)

Then the queen was vexed, for she loved Sir Lancelot more than all the other knights, and it gave her great joy to see him always successful in the tournaments. Therefore she urged him to change his decision.

”My queen,” he said, ”I told the king I would not fight.”

The queen replied:

”My advice is that you go in disguise. The knights who contest with you do so but half-heartedly, for they know your great fame and feel sure of failure. If they did not know who you were, they would fight better and win more glory for themselves. Then fight as a stranger knight, and afterwards explain to the king.”

Sir Lancelot took her advice. He rode away over the woods and hills till he came to the castle of Astolat, where he decided to stop and ask for a disguise. He knocked on the gate, which was opened by an old dumb servant, and entered the courtyard. The lord of Astolat came to meet him with his two sons, Sir Torre and Sir Lavaine, and his beautiful daughter Elaine. The lord of the castle said:

”Fair sir, whoever you are, you are welcome. You seem to me much like a Knight of the Round Table.”

”That I am,” said Sir Lancelot. ”Hereafter I will tell you my name; at present I wish to remain unknown. I must enter the coming tournament as an unknown knight, and I should like to leave with you my great s.h.i.+eld, for it is as well known in Camelot as I. Will you keep it and lend me another one?”

Then answered the Lord of Astolat:

”You may take the s.h.i.+eld of my son Torre. He was hurt in his first tournament, and has not been able to fight since. My son Lavaine will gladly go with you to the tournament. Perhaps,”

added the lord, laughing, ”he can win the diamond, and put it in his sister Elaine's hair.”

”Nay, father, do not make me ashamed before this n.o.ble knight,”

said the young Lavaine. ”I know I can never win the diamond for Elaine, but I can at least do my best to fight.”

”Gladly will I take you for a companion,” said Sir Lancelot, ”and if you can, win the diamond for this fair maiden.”

”Such a diamond,” said Sir Torre, ”is fit for a queen, and not for a simple girl.”

Sir Lancelot smiled to himself. He was sure that he should win the diamond. Then he meant to give it with the eight others to Queen Guinevere. He spoke kindly, however, to the beautiful Elaine.

”In truth, this fair maiden is fit to be a queen.”

Then Elaine lifted her eyes and looked at him. He was twice as old as she was. His face was cut and scarred with wounds which he had received in battle, but as she looked at him, she loved him, and felt that she would continue to love him till the day of her death.

They went into the great hall where a supper was laid. Sir Lancelot talked of King Arthur and his goodness and all his glorious deeds. Elaine thought that even Arthur could not be so brave as this wonderful lord. All night long she dreamed of him.

In the morning she rose early and went down in the courtyard where Sir Lancelot and Sir Lavaine were mounting their horses.

”Fair lord,” she said boldly to Sir Lancelot, ”will you wear my token in your helmet?”

Then said Sir Lancelot:

”Fair maiden, I have never worn favor nor token for any lady in the tournaments. This is well known to be my custom.”

”But if you wear my token,” she said, ”there will be far less likelihood of your being known by your fellow knights.”

”That is very true, my child,” he said. ”Bring it to me. What is it?”

She held it out to him; it was a red sleeve embroidered with pearls. Sir Lancelot bound it in his helmet and said:

”I have never done so much before for any maiden.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: _”She staid near it all day long in the turret”_]