launched
forth all the anger that he felt against the damsel Lynette who had also
scorned him.

[Sidenote: _Beaumains smiteth down Sir Kay._]

So fierce and terrible was that blow he struck that I misdoubt that any
knight in all the world could have stood against it, far less could Sir
Kay stand against it. For straightway upon receiving that stroke the
senses of Sir Kay scattered all abroad and darkness fell roaring upon
his sight and he fell down from off his horse and lay there upon the
ground as though he was dead. Then Beaumains stood above him smiling
very grimly. And he said, "Well, Sir Kay, how like you that blow from
the hands of the kitchen knave?" but Sir Kay answered him not one word
as you may suppose.

Therewith, having so spoken, Beaumains dismounted from his horse and he
called the dwarf Axatalese to him and he said: "Axatalese, dismount from
thy mule and tie it to yonder bush and take thou the horse of this
knight and mount upon it instead." And Axatalese did as his master
commanded. And Beaumains said to Sir Kay when he still lay in his swoon,
"Sir Knight, I will borrow of you your spear, since I now have none of
mine own," and therewith he took the spear of Sir Kay into his hand. And
he took the shield of Sir Kay and hung it upon the pommel of the saddle
of the horse of Sir Kay that he had given to Axatalese, and after that
he mounted his own horse and rode away from that place, leaving Sir Kay
lying where he was in the middle of the way.

And Lynette also rode away and ever Beaumains followed her in silence.
So they rode for a while and then at last and by and by the damsel fell
alaughing in great measure. And she turned her to Beaumains, and said,
"Sirrah, thou kitchen knave, dost thou take pride to thyself?" and
Beaumains said, "Nay, Lady." She said: "See that thou takest no pride,
for thou didst but overcome that knight by the force of thy youth and
strength, whilst he broke thy spear and wellnigh cast thee out of thy
saddle because of his greater skill."

Then Beaumains bowed his head and said, "Lady, that may very well be."
At that Lynette laughed again, and she said, "Sirrah, thou art
forgetting thyself and thou ridest too near to me. Now I bid thee ride
farther away so that I may not smell the savor of the kitchen," and
Beaumains said, "As you command, so it shall be," and therewith he drew
rein to a little greater distance.

* * * * *

And here it may