and
therewith he ran to her and he took her hand and she stooped from her
horse and kissed his lips.

Then she said to Sir Lavaine, "How is it with him, doth he live?"
Whereunto Sir Lavaine said, "Yea, he liveth and will live, albeit he is
weak like to a little child." She said, "Where is he?" And Sir Lavaine
said, "Come and you shall see."

[Sidenote: _The Lady Elaine beholdeth Sir Launcelot._]

So he lifted the Lady Elaine down from her horse and he took her by the
hand and led her into the hut of the hermit and there she beheld Sir
Launcelot where he lay upon a pallet and lo! his face was white like to
white wax and his eyes were closed as though in slumber and it seemed to
the Lady Elaine that he rather resembled a white and sleeping spirit
than a living man.

So the Lady Elaine went silently forward to where Sir Launcelot lay and
she kneeled down beside the pallet and the tears ran down her face like
to sparks of fire. Therewith Sir Launcelot opened his eyes and he beheld
her who she was and he smiled upon her. And Sir Launcelot said, "Is it
thou?" She said: "Yea, Messire." He said, "Whence cometh thou?" She
said, "I come from my father's house." He said, "And have you come
hitherward from thence only for to find me?" whereunto she said, "Yea."
Sir Launcelot said, "Why have you taken so great trouble as that upon my
account?" And at that she bowed her head low and said, "Certes, thou
knowest why." And this she spake not above a whisper, and so that I
believe they two alone heard her words.

Then Sir Launcelot said no more but lay gazing upon her albeit he could
see naught but her head, for her face was hidden from him. So after a
while he sighed very deep and said: "Lady, God knows I am no happy man.
For even though I may see happiness within my reach yet I cannot reach
out my hand to take it. For my faith lieth pledged in the keeping of one
with whom I have placed it and that one can never be aught to me but
what she now is. And it is my unhappy lot that whether it be wrong or
whether it be right I would not have it otherwise, and so my faith
remaineth pledged as aforesaid."

[Sidenote: _Sir Launcelot and the Lady Elaine commune together._]

Now the Lady Elaine wist what Sir Launcelot meant and that he spoke of
the Lady Queen Guinevere unto whom he had vowed his faith of knighthood.
And Elaine wept and she said, "Alas, Launcelot, I have great pity both
for thee and for me." And at that Sir Launcelot sighed