ll.

'Sir,' said Sir Marhaus, 'I will gladly go and do battle for you on
this saucy king or his knight. I ween ye shall have your truage to the
last groat, for I fear not the best knight of the Round Table, unless
it be Sir Lancelot, and I doubt not King Mark hath no knight of such
worth and prowess as I.'

So in all haste Sir Marhaus set forth in a ship, and in a little while
cast anchor fast by the shore where, on two high cliffs, the castle of
Tintagel frowned upon the sea. When King Mark understood that so noble
a knight as Sir Marhaus had come to do battle for the truage, he was
full of sorrow, and wept as he looked upon the bags of gold in his
treasure-chest. He knew of no knight of his court that durst face Sir
Marhaus, and he feared much that he would have to part with his gold.

Daily Sir Marhaus sent a message up to the castle gate, demanding
payment of the truage, or that a knight should come forth to do battle
against him.

Then King Mark let make a proclamation through all the lands, that if a
knight would fight to save the truage of Cornwall he should fare the
better as long as he lived. But the days and weeks went by and no
knight came forward. Then Sir Marhaus sent at the last a message which
said, that if within a day and a night a champion for King Mark came
not forward, he should depart.

All that day King Mark was sore and ill of mind and haggard of face,
and could never stay still, but was for ever faring with his barons to
where he could look down upon the ship of Sir Marhaus, and see the
knight waiting in his armour.

Late in the afternoon, as the king stood thus, gnawing his nails for
rage, and so hot and wrathful that none of his barons dare speak to
him, there came two horsemen riding swiftly into the courtyard of the
castle, and at the sound of their horses' feet King Mark turned
eagerly.

A young squire was the foremost rider, and he was a youth full handsome
and tall, with brown curly hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a
surcoat of red satin and a mantle of crimson, trimmed with gold; and on
his head was a cap of rich purple, and his feet and legs were clad in
fine leather, with gold bosses on his shoes. Alighting easily, he
doffed his hat and came towards the king:

'Sir,' said he, 'if ye will give me the order of knighthood, I shall do
battle to the uttermost with Sir Marhaus of Ireland.'

King Mark looked the young man up and down, and saw that though he was
young of age, y