his lady sayeth." And the Black Knight,
still speaking with great dignity, said: "How may I do otherwise than
gainsay her, seeing that you wear armor that is indented with the marks
of battle? For who ever heard of a kitchen knave wearing such armor?"
"Ne'theless," quoth Sir Gareth, "either you must acknowledge what this
lady sayeth of me, or else you must do battle with me so that I may
defend what she sayeth."

"Sir," said the Black Knight, "in that case I will do battle with you,
for I cannot accept the saying of this lady."

[Sidenote: _Sir Gareth doeth battle with the Black Knight._]

So therewith Sir Perard took down his shield from off the blackthorn
bush and he took his spear into his hand and whistled his horse to him.
And he mounted his horse and made him in all ways ready for battle.
Meanwhile Sir Gareth waited very composedly and with great calmness of
bearing until the other was in all wise prepared. Then Sir Perard said,
"I am ready, Messire." And therewith each knight drew rein and withdrew
to such a distance as was fitting for a course to an assault. Then when
this was accomplished, each knight shouted to his steed and each charged
forward against the other with a terrible speed and violence. So they
met in the midst of the course with a crash that might have been heard
for two furlongs. In that meeting the spear of each knight was broken
into many pieces, even to the hand that held it, and the horse of each
staggered back and would haply have fallen had not the knight rider
brought him to foot again with shout and prick of spur and with great
address of horsemanship. Then each knight voided his horse and each drew
his sword and therewith rushed to an assault at arms. And each smote the
other again and again and yet again, lashing such blows that it sounded
as though several blacksmiths were smiting amain upon their anvils, and
for a while neither knight had any advantage over the other, but each
fought for that time a well-matched battle. Then of a sudden Lynette
cried out very shrilly: "Sir Perard! Sir Perard! Noble, worthy knight!
Wilt thou suffer a kitchen knave to have his will of thee?"

So she cried out very loud and shrill and Sir Gareth heard the words she
uttered. Then a great anger came upon him so that he was uplifted by it,
as though the strength of several had entered into his body. So
straightway he redoubled his battle to twice what it had been before,
giving stroke upon stroke, so tha