he turned, staggering like a drunken man. And there was a tall
window open behind him, and straightway he leaped out of that window
into the courtyard beneath, where he fell with a loud and dreadful
crash.

But yet it was as though he had not fallen for he immediately leaped up
to his feet and ran away all bruised and bloody from that place like one
gone wode.

Then Queen Guinevere shrieked aloud with a great passion of terror and
remorse. And she cried out she knew not what and smote her hands very
violently together. Thereat several came running to her and to them she
cried out in a voice of vehement passion: "Go you, run with might and
main and fetch Sir Launcelot hither to me again!"

So those ran with all despatch but they could not find Sir Launcelot.
For immediately after leaving the Queen as aforesaid, he had leaped upon
his horse and had thundered away with all speed, and no one knew whither
he had betaken himself.

[Sidenote: _Sir Bors is indignant._]

Now the word of all this was talked about the court of the King almost
as soon as it had happened, for all the court was loud with the noise of
it. Thereat, when the kinsmen of Sir Launcelot had heard what had
passed, they were filled with great indignation at the manner in which
he had been treated; and most of all Sir Bors was indignant, for he said
to himself: "Lo! this Lady first sends me to seek my kinsman and to
bring him to her and when he cometh at her bidding then she treats him
with contumely altogether unworthy for a knight to endure. What then
must Sir Launcelot think of me who was her foolish messenger to fetch
him hither?"

[Sidenote: _Queen Guinevere bespeaketh the kinsmen of Sir Launcelot._]

But Queen Guinevere, not knowing of the indignation of the kinsmen of
Sir Launcelot, sent for three of them to come to her, and these three
were Sir Ector and Sir Lionel and Sir Bors de Ganis. When these three
had come to her they found her weeping and when they stood before her
she said, "Messires, I have done amiss." To this they said nothing lest
from anger they should say too much. Yet the Queen beheld their anger,
wherefore she dried her tears and spake with pride, saying: "Messires, I
ask you not to forgive me who am your Queen, but I would fain ask Sir
Launcelot to forgive me and I know that out of his gentleness he will do
so. Now as your Queen and sovereign I lay this command upon you, that
you straightway go in quest of Sir Launcelot and th