," saith the King, "Take it away! Never, please God,
shall it befall that we should accept such service from you."

"By my head," saith the knight, "But so must you needs do, for other
than she shall not serve you to-night in this matter, or otherwise
shall you not eat with me this night there within."

IX.

Lancelot understandeth that the knight is not overburdened of courtesy,
and he seeth the table garnished of good meat, and bethinketh him he
will not do well to lose such ease, for misease enough had they the
night before. He maketh the King take water of the lady, and the same
service did she for all of them. The knight biddeth them be seated.
The King would have made the lady sit beside him at the table, but the
knight said that there she should not sit. She goeth to sit among the
squires as she was wont to do. The knights are sorry enough thereof,
but they durst not gainsay the will of her lord. When they had eaten,
the knight said to Lancelot, "Now may you see what she hath gained of
me by your making me take her perforce, nor never, so help me God, so
long as I live shall she be honoured otherwise by me, for so have I
promised her that I love far more."

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "To my thinking you do ill herein and a sin, and
meseemeth you should have great blame thereof of them that know it, and
may your churlishness be your own, for nought thereof take I to myself."

X.

Lancelot telleth the King and Messire Gawain that were he not lodged in
his hostel, and had him outside of the hold, he would willingly have
set the blood of his body on it but he would have handled him in such
sort as that the lady should be maintained in greater honour, either by
force or by prayer, in like manner as he did when he made him marry
her. They were right well lodged the night and lay in the hold until
the morrow, when they departed thence, and rode right busily on their
journeys until they came into a very different land, scarce inhabited
of any folk, and found a little castle in a combe. They came
thitherward and saw that the enclosure of the castle was fallen down
into an abysm, so that none might approach it on that side, but it had
a right fair gateway and a door tall and wide whereby one entered.
They beheld a chapel that was right fair and rich, and below was a
great ancient hall. They saw a priest appear in the midst of the
castle, bald and old, that had come forth of the chapel. They are come
thither