le knight. Dear friends, commend me to King Arthur,
and to my fellows of the Round Table, and sometimes think of me for old
brotherhood's sake."

And he died in their arms, leaving them plunged in the deepest grief,
from which they were long in recovering.

Meanwhile Lancelot and Percivale rode far in company, and many things
happened to them. While journeying through a strange region they met an
unknown knight, whom they challenged to joust. But the event turned out
little to their satisfaction, for Lancelot was hurled to the ground,
horse and man, and Percivale received so fierce a sword-blow that he
would have been slain had not the sword swerved.

Then the victor knight rode rapidly away, leaving them to recover as
they best could. But a recluse near whose hut this encounter had taken
place told them that the victor was Sir Galahad. On learning this they
pursued him at all speed, but in vain.

Percivale now turned back to question the recluse further, but Lancelot
kept on, passing through waste and forest till he came to a stone cross
at the parting of two ways.

Near by was a ruined chapel, with broken door, and other signs of waste
and decay, if it had been long deserted. But when he looked within he
saw to his great surprise a high altar richly dressed with cloth of
white silk, on which stood a lofty candelabra of silver which bore six
great candles, all lighted.

Lancelot sought to enter the chapel, but try as he would he could not
pass the broken door, nor find entrance elsewhere. Some invisible power
seemed to stand between him and admission to that sacred place.

Then, out of heart at this ill success, he took off his helm and sword,
relieved his horse of saddle and bridle, and lay down to sleep before
the cross. Night came upon him as he lay there, and with the night came
strange visions.

For as he lay but half asleep he saw a sick knight brought thither in a
litter. This knight prayed earnestly for aid in his affliction, and as
he did so Lancelot saw the silver candlestick come from the chapel to
the cross, and after it a table of silver on which was the holy grail.
The sick knight crawled painfully to it on his hands and knees, and
raised himself so as to touch and kiss the sacred vessel. No sooner had
he done so than he grew whole and sound, with all his pain and sickness
gone, and rose to his feet with his former strength and vigor.

"Lord, I thank thee deeply," he said; "for through thy infin