ewise the bells all rang: and within a while they entered the
palace, and the trumpets rang and men shouted, so that my head whirled;
and they entered the hall, and the King went down from the dais to meet
them.

Now a band of knights and of damoyzels went before and behind, and in the
midst Sir Guy led the Lady Alys by the hand, and he was a most stately
knight, strong and fair.

And I indeed noted the first band of knights and damoyzels well, and
wondered at the noble presence of the knights, and was filled with joy
when I beheld the maids, because of their great beauty; the second band I
did not see, for when they passed I was leaning back against the wall,
wishing to die with my hands before my face. But when I could see, she
was hanging about her father's neck, weeping, and she never left him all
that night, but held his hand in feast and dance, and even when I was
made knight, while the king with his right hand laid his sword over my
shoulder, she held his left hand and was close to me.

And the next day they held a grand tourney, that I might be proven; and I
had never fought with knights before, yet I did not doubt. And Alys sat
under a green canopy, that she might give the degree to the best knight,
and by her sat the good knight Sir Guy, in a long robe, for he did not
mean to joust that day; and indeed at first none but young knights
jousted, for they thought that I should not do much.

But I, looking up to the green canopy, overthrew so many of them, that
the elder knights began to arm, and I grew most joyful as I met them, and
no man unhorsed me; and always I broke my spear fairly, or else overthrew
my adversary.

Now that maiden who counselled me in the hall, told me afterwards that as
I fought, the Lady Alys held fast to the rail before her, and leaned
forward and was most pale, never answering any word that any one might
say to her, till the Knight Guy said to her in anger: 'Alys! what ails
you? you would have been glad enough to speak to me when King Wadrayns
carried you off shrieking, or that other time when the chain went round
about you, and the faggots began to smoke in the Brown City: do you not
love me any longer? O Alys, Alys! just think a little, and do not break
your faith with me; God hates nothing so much as this. Sweet, try to
love me, even for your own sake! See, am I not kind to you?'

That maiden said that she turned round to him wonderingly, as if she had
not caught his meaning