have a will to slay you.'

But I could scarce say so before the old merchant rushed at the red
knight with a yell, who without moving slew his horse with an axe, and
then the men at arms speared the old man, slaying him as one would an
otter or a rat.

Afterwards they were going to set on me, but the red knight held them
back, saying: 'Nay, I am enough,' and we spurred on our horses.

As we met, I felt just as if some one had thrown a dull brown cloth over
my eyes, and I felt the wretched spear-point slip off his helm; then I
felt a great pain somewhere, that did not seem to be in my body, but in
the world, or the sky, or something of that sort.

And I know not how long that pain seemed to last now, but I think years,
though really I grew well and sane again in a few weeks.

And when I woke, scarce knowing whether I was in the world or heaven or
hell, I heard some one singing.

I tried to listen but could not, because I did not know where I was, and
was thinking of that; I missed verse after verse of the song, this song,
till at last I saw I must be in the King's palace.

There was a window by my bed, I looked out at it, and saw that I was high
up; down in the street the people were going to and fro, and there was a
knot of folks gathered about a minstrel, who sat on the edge of a
fountain, with his head laid sideways on his shoulder, and nursing one
leg on the other; he was singing only, having no instrument, and he sang
the song I had tried to listen to, I heard some of it now:

'He was fair and free,
At every tourney
He wan the degree,
Sir Guy the good knight.

'He wan Alys the fair,
The King's own daughtere,
With all her gold hair,
That shone well bright.

'He saved a good Knight,
Who also was wight,
And had winges bright
On a blue shield.

'And he slew the Knight
Of the High Gard in fight,
In red weed that was dight
In the open field.'

I fell back in my bed and wept, for I was weak with my illness; to think
of this! truly this man was a perfect knight, and deserved to win Alys.
Ah! well! but was this the glory I was to have, and no one believed that
I was a King's son.

And so I passed days and nights, thinking of my dishonour and misery, and
my utter loneliness; no one cared for me; verily, I think, if any one had
spoken to me lovingly, I should have fallen on his neck and died, while I
was so weak.

But I grew strong at last, an