beauty, insomuch that all turned to behold her
in passing, and many stood in their places that they might see her the
better.

[Sidenote: _The damsel asketh for a champion._]

Thus the damsel came up the hall until she had reached to that place
where King Arthur sat at the head of the feast, and when she had come
there she kneeled down and set her hands together as in prayer, palm to
palm. And King Arthur looked upon her and was pleased with her beauty,
and he said, "Damsel, what is it thou wouldst have of us?" The damsel
said: "Lord, I would have the aid of some good worthy knight of thy
court who should act as champion in behalf of my sister." And the King
said, "What ails thy sister?"

Quoth the damsel: "Lord, my sister is tormented by a very evil disposed
knight who maketh demand of her for wife. But my sister hateth this
knight and will have naught to do with him, wherefore he sitteth ever
before her castle and challengeth whomsoever cometh thitherward, and
will not suffer any one to go in to the castle or come out thence
without his permission. Now I come hither upon my sister's behalf to
seek a champion who shall liberate her from this duress."

Then said the King, "Who is thy sister and who is this knight who
tormenteth her?" To the which the damsel made reply: "I may not tell you
my sister's name, for she is very proud and haughty, and is very much
ashamed that she should be held in duress by that knight against her
will. But as for the knight who tormenteth her, I may tell you that he
is hight the Red Knight of the Red Lands."

Then King Arthur said: "I know not any such knight as that. Is there any
one of you hereabouts who knoweth him?" And Sir Gawaine said: "Lord, I
know him very well, for I met him one time in battle and it was such
hard ado for me to hold mine own against him that even to this day I
know not rightly whether he was better than I or whether I was better
than he." Then King Arthur said: "Fair damsel, that must be a very
strong and powerful knight, since Sir Gawaine speaketh of him in this
wise. But touching this affair of thy sister, know you not that it is
not likely that any knight of renown will be found to champion a lady of
whose name or degree he knoweth naught? If thou wilt tell the name of
thy sister and wilt declare her degree I doubt not there are many good
worthy knights of this court any one of whom would gladly champion her
cause."

So spake the King, but the damsel only