as his squire,' she thought.
'But although I cannot go,' she murmured sadly, 'I can ask him to
wear my favour at the tournament.' For in those days a knight often
wore the colours of the lady who loved him.

Very shyly Elaine told the knight her wish. Would he wear her
favour at the tournament? It was a red sleeve, embroidered with
white pearls.

Lancelot thought how fair Elaine was, as she looked up at him with
love and trust in her eyes, but he told her gently that he had
never yet worn a lady's favour, and that he could not wear hers.

'If you have never worn one before, wear this,' she urged timidly.
'It will make your disguise more complete.' And Lancelot knew that
what she said was true, and he took the red sleeve embroidered with
pearls, and tied it on his helmet.

So Elaine was glad, and after the knight and Lavaine had ridden
away, she went up the turret stair again to her little room. She
took the shield from the corner, and handled the bruises and dints
in it lovingly, and made pictures to herself of all the battles and
tournaments it had been through with her knight.

Then Elaine sat down and sewed, as Sir Torre would have wise
maidens do. But what she sewed was a beautiful cover for the
shield, and that Sir Torre would not have her do, for he cared
neither for the strange knight nor his shield.

Lancelot rode on towards Camelot, with Lavaine as his squire, till
they came to a wood where a hermit lived. And they stayed at the
hermitage all night, and the next morning they rode on till they
reached Camelot.

And when Lavaine saw the King sitting on a high throne, ready to
judge which knight was worthy to have the diamond, he did not think
of the grandeur of the throne, nor of the King's marvellous dress
of rich gold, nor of the jewels in his crown. He could think only
of the nobleness and beauty of the great King's face, and wish that
his fair sister Elaine might see him too.

Then many brave knights began to fight, and all wondered why Sir
Lancelot was not there. And they wondered more at the strange
knight, with the bare shield and the red sleeve with pearls on his
helmet, who fought so bravely and overthrew the others one by one.

And the King said, 'Surely this is Sir Lancelot himself.' But when
he saw the lady's favour on the knight's helmet, he said, 'No, it
cannot be Sir Lancelot.'

When at last the tournament was over, the King proclaimed that the
strange knight who wore the red sleeve e