Sir Bors made him ready, and departed for the Court
of King Arthur, and told them how he had left Sir Lancelot. And there
was on All Hallows a great tournament, and Sir Bors won the prize for
the unhorsing of twenty Knights, and Sir Gareth did great deeds also,
but vanished suddenly from the field, and no man knew where he had
gone. After the tourney was over, Sir Bors rode to the hermitage to
see Sir Lancelot, whom he found walking on his feet, and on the next
morning they bade farewell to the hermit, taking with them Elaine le
Blanc. They went first to Astolat, where they were well lodged in the
house of Sir Bernard, but when the morrow came, and Sir Lancelot would
have departed from them, Elaine called to her father and to her
brothers Sir Tirre and Sir Lavaine, and thus she said:

'My lord Sir Lancelot, fair Knight, leave me not, I pray you, but have
mercy upon me, and suffer me not to die of love of thee.'

'What do you wish me to do?' asked Sir Lancelot.

'I would have you for my husband,' answered she.

'Fair damsel, I thank you,' said Sir Lancelot, 'but truly I shall
never have a wife. But in token and thanks of all your good will
towards me, gladly will I give a thousand pounds yearly when you set
your heart upon some other Knight.'

'Of such gifts I will have none,' answered Elaine, 'and I would have
you know, Sir Lancelot, that if you refuse to wed me, my good days are
done.'

'Fair damsel,' said Sir Lancelot, 'I cannot do the thing that you
ask.'

At these words she fell down in a swoon, and her maids bore her to her
chamber, where she made bitter sorrow. Sir Lancelot thought it would
be well for him to depart before she came to her senses again, and he
asked Sir Lavaine what he would do.

'What should I do?' asked Sir Lavaine, 'but follow you if you will
have me.' Then Sir Bernard came and said to Sir Lancelot, 'I see well
that my daughter Elaine will die for your sake.'

'I cannot marry her,' answered Sir Lancelot, 'and it grieves me
sorely, for she is a good maiden, fair and gentle.'

'Father,' said Sir Lavaine, 'she is as pure and good as Sir Lancelot
has said, and she is like me, for since first I saw him I can never
leave him.' And after that they bade the old man farewell and came
unto Winchester, where the King and all the Knights of the Round Table
made great joy of him, save only Sir Agrawaine and Sir Mordred. But
the Queen was angry and would not speak to him, though he tried by all
m