lf and thirty knights to be your men and do
your commands while they live.'

'Now that is a grievous shame!' cried the lady, 'What, Sir Green
Knight, art such a coward as to crave thy life of a scullion knave, and
promise him thirty knights' service!'

'You and your thirty knights shall avail you naught,' said Beaumains
grimly, 'and since this lady will not beg thy life of me, why, now I
shall slay thee.'

With that he raised the sword, but the lady cried out:

'Put down, thou rascally knave, and slay him not, or thou shalt repent
it!'

'Lady,' said Beaumains, and bowed full gently, 'your command is to me a
pleasure, and at your desire I give him his life.'

Then the green knight did homage to Beaumains and gave up his sword.
Afterwards he took them to his castle near by, where they passed the
night.

Next morning the green knight, whose name was Sir Pertolope,
accompanied them some distance on their way, and at parting he told
Beaumains that he and his thirty knights would do service when and
where he might desire. Thereupon Beaumains told him that he must go and
yield himself and his knights to King Arthur, and this Sir Pertolope
promised faithfully to do.

And again, when they had gone some way and had reached a little town, a
knight challenged Beaumains, who, having fought with the stranger and
overpowered him, threatened to slay him unless the lady begged for his
life. This she did, after she had said many bitter and evil things, and
Beaumains commanded the knight to go, with threescore knights which
were in his service, and yield himself up to King Arthur.

Then Beaumains and the lady went on again, and the lady was full of
rage in that she had been compelled a second time to plead with him for
the life of a knight.

'Thou shalt get thy full wages to-day, sir kitchen knight,' said she,
'for in a little while there will meet us the most valiant knight in
the world, after King Arthur. Methinks thou wouldst do the better part
to flee, for the evil luck which thou hast had with the three knights
you have overcome will not avail thee upon this one.'

'Madam,' said Beaumains, 'ye know that ye are uncourteous so to
reproach me. I have done you great service these three days, but ever
ye call me coward and kitchen knave. Yet those who have come against
me, whom you said would beat me, are now either slain or have yielded
homage to me.'

'The greater shame,' said the lady, 'that so lowborn a churl as thou