o read further, for there these several
things are told of in due order.

[Illustration: The Lady Layonnesse.]

[Illustration]

Chapter Fourth

_How Sir Gareth met Sir Percevant of Hind, and how he came to Castle
Dangerous and had speech with the Lady Layonnesse. Also how the Lady
Layonnesse accepted him for her champion._

So the damsel Lynette followed by Sir Gareth and the dwarf travelled for
all that morning and a part of the afternoon without let or stay of any
sort and without meeting with any adventure whatsoever, and in all that
time the damsel said no word to Sir Gareth whether of good or ill, but
ever kept her eyes fixed straight before her as though very much
occupied with thought.

[Sidenote: _They behold a fair pavilion in a valley._]

So about two hours or three after the prime of the day they came to the
top of a very long steep hill, and there beneath them in the valley that
lay below the hill, Sir Gareth perceived that a considerable company and
one that appeared to be of great estate were foregathered. For at that
place there were a number of pavilions of divers colored silk and above
each pavilion there flew a silken banner bearing the device of the owner
of that pavilion. And in the midst of all those other pavilions there
was one that was manifestly the pavilion of the knight-champion or of
the overlord of all the others. For that pavilion was of crimson silk
embroidered with figures in threads of silver and black, and above the
pavilion there flew a banner of very great size, which same was also of
crimson silk embroidered in silver and black with the figure of a
leopard couchant.

And from where he stood upon the heights, Sir Gareth saw that all these
pavilions were spread in a fair level meadow with grass well mown, as
smooth as a cloth of green velvet, and all bright with gay and pretty
flowers. And this meadow and other meadows beyond it stretched away to a
great distance and at the extremity of the distance was a fair tall
castle and a goodly town of many towers, all shining very bright in the
clear transparent daylight.

All this Sir Gareth beheld very plain, as it were upon the palm of his
hand, and he beheld how above all that level, fruitful valley the sky
arched like to a roof of crystal--warm and perfectly blue, and filled
full of a very great many clouds.

Then Lynette said: "Hah, Beaumains, see you yonder pavilions and see you
that pavilion which is in their midst?