ht Gareth had ever
fought, and it lasted for an hour and a half.

Once more Gareth went back to Lynette a conqueror, but still she
cried, 'Do not come near me, kitchen-knave. You have slain a noble
knight. Let me ride on alone.'

'Whatever happens I will follow you till we reach the Lady
Lyonors,' said Gareth.

They were coming near to Castle Dangerous now, but before they
reached it, a knight dressed all in green stopped them.

And Gareth fought the Green Knight too. But when he had struck him
to the ground, the Green Knight begged Gareth to spare his life.

'It is useless to ask me to spare your life, for you shall die,
unless the Lady Lynette asks me to set you free,' said Gareth. And
he began to undo the helmet of the Green Knight, as if he meant to
slay him.

'I will never ask a favour of a kitchen-page,' said Lynette
haughtily. 'I will never ask you to spare the Green Knight's life.'

'Spare my life,' entreated the Green Knight, 'and I and my thirty
followers will serve you for ever.'

'It is useless for you to ask me,' repeated Gareth. 'Only the Lady
Lynette can save your life.' And again he lifted his sword, as if
to slay the Green Knight.

'You will not slay him, for if you do, you will be sorry,'
stammered Lynette, as she saw Gareth's sword coming down to kill
the knight.

Gareth heard Lynette's voice, and at once put away his sword, and
gave the Green Knight his freedom.

In his gratitude the knight persuaded Gareth and Lynette to stay
with him that night, 'and in the morning I will help you to reach
Castle Dangerous,' he said.

That evening at supper-time, Lynette again mocked Gareth. He had
never asked her to be more gentle to him, but now he said, 'Mock me
no more, for in spite of all your taunts I have killed many
knights, and cleared the forests of the King's enemies.'

Now Lynette had begun to feel ashamed of her unkindness, and as she
listened to Gareth, and thought how loyally he had served her, she
felt sorry that she had been so unkind. And she asked Gareth to
forgive her for being so rude.

'I forgive you with all my heart,' said Gareth, and at last they
rode on happily side by side.

Then Gareth sent his dwarf on in front to tell Lynette's sister
that they were near her castle. And the Lady Lyonors asked the
dwarf a great many questions about his master.

'He is a noble knight and a kind master,' said the dwarf; and he
told the lady of all the adventures they had met on thei