hey went unto Sir Persant's
pavilion and drank the wine, and ate spices, and afterward Sir Persant
made him to rest upon a bed until supper time, and after supper to bed
again. When Beaumains was abed, Sir Persant had a lady, a fair daughter
of eighteen year of age, and there he called her unto him, and charged
her and commanded her upon his blessing to go unto the knight's bed, and
lie down by his side, and make him no strange cheer, but good cheer,
and take him in thine arms and kiss him, and look that this be done, I
charge you, as ye will have my love and my good will. So Sir Persant's
daughter did as her father bade her, and so she went unto Sir Beaumains'
bed, and privily she dispoiled her, and laid her down by him, and then
he awoke and saw her, and asked her what she was. Sir, she said, I am
Sir Persant's daughter, that by the commandment of my father am come
hither. Be ye a maid or a wife? said he. Sir, she said, I am a clean
maiden. God defend, said he, that I should defoil you to do Sir Persant
such a shame; therefore, fair damosel, arise out of this bed or else I
will. Sir, she said, I came not to you by mine own will, but as I was
commanded. Alas, said Sir Beaumains, I were a shameful knight an I would
do your father any disworship; and so he kissed her, and so she departed
and came unto Sir Persant her father, and told him all how she had sped.
Truly, said Sir Persant, whatsomever he be, he is come of a noble blood.
And so we leave them there till on the morn.

CHAPTER XIII. Of the goodly communication between Sir Persant and
Beaumains, and how he told him that his name was Sir Gareth.

AND so on the morn the damosel and Sir Beaumains heard mass and brake
their fast, and so took their leave. Fair damosel, said Persant,
whitherward are ye way-leading this knight? Sir, she said, this knight
is going to the siege that besiegeth my sister in the Castle Dangerous.
Ah, ah, said Persant, that is the Knight of the Red Laund, the which
is the most perilous knight that I know now living, and a man that is
without mercy, and men say that he hath seven men's strength. God save
you, said he to Beaumains, from that knight, for he doth great wrong to
that lady, and that is great pity, for she is one of the fairest ladies
of the world, and meseemeth that your damosel is her sister: is not your
name Linet? said he. Yea, sir, said she, and my lady my sister's name is
Dame Lionesse. Now shall I tell you, said Sir Persa