n who he was and what
was his estate. Yet ever Gareth contained himself in patience, biding
his time until it should have come, and making no complaint of the
manner in which he was treated.

And now if you would hear how young Gareth won him honor and knighthood,
I pray you read that which followeth, for therein are those things told
of at some length.

[Illustration: The Damsel Lynette]

[Illustration]

Chapter Second

_How Gareth set forth upon an adventure with a young damsel hight
Lynette; how he fought with Sir Kay, and how Sir Launcelot made him a
knight. Also in this it is told of several other happenings that befell
Gareth, called Beaumains, at this time._

So passed a year as aforetold, and Gareth lodged with the household of
King Arthur and had food and drink as much as he desired. And in all
that time Gareth ate his food and drank his drink at a side table, for
Sir Kay would not permit him to sit at the same table with the lords and
knights and ladies of the King's court. For Sir Kay would say, "This
kitchen knave shall not eat at table with gentle folk but at a side
table by himself," and so Gareth fed at a table by himself. And ever Sir
Kay called Gareth "Beaumains" in scornful jest and all the court called
him "Beaumains" because Sir Kay did so.

[Sidenote: _King Arthur sitteth again at feast._]

Now at the end of that year when the Feast of Pentecost had come again,
King Arthur was holding his court at Caerleon-upon-Usk, and at the high
Feast of Pentecost there sat, as usual at the King's table, the lords
and the ladies of the court and all the Knights of the Round Table who
were not upon adventure that took them elsewhither.

[Sidenote: _A damsel appeareth before the King._]

As they so sat eating and drinking there came into the hall a slender
maiden of not more than sixteen years old. And the maiden was
exceedingly beautiful, for her hair was as black as ebony and was like
to threads of fine black silk for softness and brightness. And her eyes
were as black as jet and very bright and shining, and her face was like
ivory for clearness and whiteness and her lips were red like to coral
for redness. She was clad all in flame-colored satin, embroidered with
threads of gold and she wore a bright shining chaplet of gold about her
brows so that what with her raiment of flame-color and with her
embroidery and ornaments of shining gold, the maiden came up the hall
like to a fiery vision of