o strong, that I will pretend to care for him,'
she thought, 'and then perhaps he will try to win the golden
circlet for me, and I shall be called the "Queen of Beauty."' For
the Lady Ettarde was a cruel and vain lady, and cared more for the
golden circlet and to be called the 'Queen of Beauty,' than for
the happiness of the young knight Pelleas. And so for many days the
Lady Ettarde was kind to Sir Pelleas, and at last she told him that
she would love him if he would win the golden circlet for her.

'The lady of my dreams will love me,' the knight murmured. And
aloud he said proudly that if there were any strength in his right
arm, he would win the prize for the Lady Ettarde.

Then the lords and ladies that were with Ettarde pitied the young
knight, for they knew their lady only mocked him.

At last they all reached Carleon, and the next morning the
tournament began.

And the Lady Ettarde watched her knight merrily, as each day he
overcame and threw from their horses twenty men.

'The circlet will be mine,' she whispered to her lords and ladies.
But they looked at her coldly, for they knew how unkindly she would
reward Sir Pelleas.

At the end of three days the tournament was over, and King Arthur
proclaimed that the young knight Pelleas had won the golden circlet
and the sword.

[Illustration: SIR PELLEAS WAS ALWAYS AT HIS LADY'S SIDE

Page 49]

Then in the presence of all the people, Sir Pelleas took the golden
circlet and handed it to the Lady Ettarde, saying aloud that she
was the fairest lady on the field and the Queen of Beauty.

The Lady Ettarde was so pleased with her prize, that for a day or
two she was kind to her knight, but soon she grew tired of him, and
wished that she might never see him again.

Still even when she was unkind, Sir Pelleas was happy, for he
trusted the beautiful lady, and said to himself, 'She proves me, to
see if I really love her.'

But the Lady Ettarde knew she would never love Sir Pelleas, even if
he died for her.

Then her ladies were angry, as they saw how she mocked the knight,
for they knew that greater and fairer ladies would have loved Sir
Pelleas for his strength and great knightliness.

'I will go back to my own country,' said the Lady Ettarde, 'and see
my faithful knight no more.'

When Pelleas heard that the Lady Ettarde was going home he was
glad. He remembered the happy days he had spent as they rode
together through the forest, and he looked forward t