mewhat aweary with the battle I have endured this day. Wherefore I
am very well content to follow thy commands in this matter. But I prithee,
damsel, tell me what is thy name, for I know not yet how thou art called."

"Sir," she said, "I am called Croisette of the Dale, and my brother is
called Sir Hilaire of the Dale, and it is to his castle that I am about to
take thee to rest for this time."

Then Sir Launcelot said: "I go with thee, damsel, wherever it is thy will
to take me."

[Sidenote: Of how Sir Launcelot and the damsel ride together] So they two
rode through that valley at a slow pace and very easily. And toward the
waning of the afternoon they left the valley by a narrow side way, and so
in a little while came into a shallow dale, very fertile and smiling, but
of no great size. For the more part that dale was all spread over with
fields and meadow-lands, with here and there a plantation of trees in full
blossom and here and there a farm croft. A winding river flowed down
through the midst of this valley, very quiet and smooth, and brimming its
grassy banks, where were alder and sedge and long rows of pollard willows
overreaching the water.

[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot and Croisette come to a fair valley] At the
farther end of the valley was a castle of very comely of appearance, being
built part of stone and part of bright red bricks; and the castle had many
windows of glass and tall chimneys, some a-smoke. About the castle and nigh
to it was a little village of thatched cottages, with many trees in blossom
and some without blossom shading the gables of the small houses that took
shelter beneath them.

Now when Sir Launcelot and Croisette came into that little valley it was at
the declining of the day and the sky was all alight with the slanting sun,
and the swallows were flying above the smooth shining surface of the river
in such multitudes that it was wonderful to behold them. And the lowing
herds were winding slowly along by the river in their homeward way, and all
was so peaceful and quiet that Sir Launcelot drew rein for pure pleasure,
and sat for some while looking down upon that fair, happy dale. Then by and
by he said: "Croisette, meseems I have never beheld so sweet and fair a
country as this, nor one in which it would be so pleasant to live."

Upon this Croisette was very much pleased, and she smiled upon Sir
Launcelot. "Think you so, Sir Launcelot?" quoth she. "Well, in sooth, I am
very glad that