n
presently he looked upward toward Sir Launcelot, and he said: "Art thou Sir
Launcelot of the Lake?" And Sir Launcelot said: "Yea." "Very well," said
the knight, "I am pleased beyond measure at that. For I am Sir Phelot, the
lord of this castle, and the brother of that Sir Peris of the Forest
Sauvage, whom thou didst treat so shamefully after thou hadst overcome him
in battle."

"Sir," said Sir Launcelot, "I treated him nowise differently from what he
deserved." "No matter for that," said Sir Phelot, "he was my brother, and
thou didst put great despite and shame upon him. So now I will be revenged
upon thee, for now I have thee where I would have thee, and I will slay
thee as shamefully as thou didst put shame upon him. So say thy prayers
where thou art, for thou shalt never go away from this place alive."

"Sir Knight," said Sir Launcelot, "I do not believe that thou wouldst
really assault a naked and harmless man, for it would certainly be a great
shame to thee to do me a harm in that wise. For lo! thou art armed in full,
and I am a naked man, and to slay me as I am would be both murder and
treason."

"No matter for that," said Sir Phelot; "as for the shame of it, I take no
thought of it. I tell thee thou shalt have no grace nor mercy from me.
Wherefore make thy peace with Heaven, for thine hour is come."

"Sir Knight," said Sir Launcelot, "I ask only one boon of thee; if thou art
of a mind to take so much shame upon thee, as appears to be the case, let
me not, at least, die like a felon without any weapon. Let me have my sword
in my hand, even if I have no other defence. For if a knight must die, it
is a shame for him to die without weapons. So hang my sword upon yonder
bough, where I may reach it, and then thou mayst slay me."

"Nay," said Sir Phelot, "I will not do that, for I know very well how
wonderful is thy prowess. Wherefore I believe that even if thou wert
otherwise unarmed thou mightst overcome me if thou hadst thy sword. So I
will give thee no such chance, but will have my will of thee as thou art."

[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot is put to a sad pass to escape] Then Sir
Launcelot was put to a great pass of anxiety, for he wist not what to do to
escape from that danger in which he lay. Wherefore he looked all about him
and above him and below him, and at last he beheld a great branch of the
elm tree just above his head, very straight and tough. So he catched this
branch and broke it off from the tree and s