King Arthur's knights, and that I would so put to death whomsoever I should vanquish." And many nobles and knights came up and entreated of the conqueror that he would spare the fallen knight, saying: ""Tis 5 better for you to have him and us for your men. And

if you slay him, it will not undo the evil that he has done."

Then said Sir Fairhands: "I am loath to slay the knight, though he has done many shameful deeds; and 10 indeed I blame him the less because he has done these things at a lady's bidding. Therefore I give him pardon, but on these conditions: first, that he yield to the Lady Lyonesse, and make amends to her for all the wrongs he has done her; second, that he go to the 15 court of King Arthur and beg forgiveness of Sir Lancelot for his ill will toward him."

"This will I do," said the knight.

Now the knights that had yielded themselves to Sir Fairhands, who shall be called henceforth by his true 20 name of Sir Gareth, went to King Arthur, according as they had been bidden, and swore loyalty to him. First came the green knight with his fifty knights, and after him the red knight, with a hundred, and they all yielded themselves to the King, telling him how they 25 had been overcome by a knight that had a damsel with him, and was called Sir Fairhands.

"Now," said the King, "I marvel much of what

lineage he is. For twelve months he was here, and he was but poorly cared for, and Sir Kay called him Fairhands in scorn.

While the King talked with the knights, came in Sir Lancelot, and said, "There is come a very goodly 5 lord, having five hundred knights with him." So the King went out of the hall, and the lord saluted him in courteous fashion.

"What is your will," said the King, "and on what errand are you come?"

10

The lord answered, "I am called the Knight of the Marshes, but my name is Sir Ironside. I am sent hither by a knight that calls himself Sir Fairhands. He overcame me in battle, fighting hand to hand, and this no man has done for thirty years, and, having 15 overcome me, charged me that I should yield myself to you."

"You are welcome," said the King, "and the more because you have been a long time an enemy to me and my knights."

"That is so," answered the lord, "but henceforth I am at your command, and so are all my knights, and we will serve you as best we can."

20

Said the King, "Ironside, I will make you a knight of the Round Table, but you must leave your murder-25 ous ways."

"That I will henceforth," said the lord, "for indeed

I followed them at the command of a lady that wishes to be avenged of her enemy. And I would fain ask pardon of Sir Lancelot, for chiefly I did these things out of ill will to him."

5 "He is here," said the King. So the lord craved pardon of Sir Lancelot, who granted it right generously.

After this as they sat at meat, came in the Queen of Orkney, the King's sister. And Sir Gawaine, with his brothers, knelt before her and asked her blessing, 10 for they had not seen their mother for the space of fifteen years. But the Queen spake with a loud voice to King Arthur, saying, "What have you done with Sir Gareth, my youngest son? He was with you for the space of a year, and you made him a kitchen knave, 15 which was truly a shameful thing.'

20

"I knew him not," said Gawaine to his mother. "Nor I," said the King, "but this I know, that he has proved himself a very worthy knight, nor shall I ever rest till I have found him."

But the Queen did not abate her wrath. "You did ill," she said to her brother and her sons, "when you kept my son Gareth in the kitchen, and fed him like a poor hog."

"Fair sister," answered the King, "you must see 25 that we knew him not, neither I nor his brethren. And, sister, why did you not warn me of his coming? For when he first came he was leaning on the shoulders

of two, as if he could not go alone, and he asked me three gifts first, meat for twelve months, and second, when the twelve months were past, the adventure of the damsel Lynette, and the adventure being given him that he should be knighted by Sir Lancelot. All these 5 things he had. But because he asked for food, there were many here that deemed that he was not of a noble house."

"Know, brother," said the Queen, "that I sent him well armed and horsed, and finely clad, with plenty of 10 gold and silver."

"Of these things," said the King, "we saw naught in this place. Only when he was about to depart, there came one who said that there was a dwarf waiting for him who had brought him armor and a 15 good horse. And we, marveling how he should be possessed of such things, judged that he must come of a noble house. But enough of these things; by the grace of God he shall be found. Then shall we be all merry, for he has shown himself to be a very 20 worthy knight, and I am right glad to know that he is of my kindred."

And at King Arthur's bidding Sir Gareth returned, and with him Dame Lyonesse and the Lady Lynette. And in their honor King Arthur held a great tourna-25 ment, wherein Sir Gareth won the prize.

After the jousting was ended, King Arthur said to

his nephew, Sir Gareth, "Love you this lady, Dame Lyonesse?"

"That I do," said he, "with all my heart."

And the King said to the Dame, "And love you 5 him?"

"My lord King," she said, "know you that he is my first love and my last, and if I may not have him, I promise you that I will have none."

Then said the King: "I would not hinder your 10 loves, no, not for my very crown. You shall have my good will to the very uttermost." So likewise said the Queen of Orkney, Sir Gareth's mother.

On Michaelmas Day the Archbishop of Canterbury made the wedding between Sir Gareth and Dame Lyo15 nesse with all solemnity. Also Sir Gaheris, which was Sir Gareth's brother, wedded the damsel Lynette. And after the wedding the green knight prayed that he might be Sir Gareth's chamberlain, and the red knight that he might be his butler, and Sir Persaunt 20 that he might be chief server, and Sir Ironside that he might be his carver. All these things did he grant right courteously. Thus ends the adventure of Sir Gareth. A. J. CHURCH: Heroes of Chivalry and Romance.