ame for
Sir Launcelot to come thus to save the Queen, riding in a cart.

But the Queen said: "Messires and ladies, I take no care for the manner
in which Sir Launcelot cometh, for I believe he cometh for to rescue us
from this captivity, and if so be he is successful in that undertaking,
then it will not matter how he cometh to perform so worthy a deed of
knighthood as that."

Thus all they were put to silence by the Queen's words; but nevertheless
and afterward those knights who were there still held amongst themselves
that it was great shame for Sir Launcelot to come thus in a cart to
rescue the Queen, instead of first getting for himself a horse whereon
to ride as became a knight-errant of worthiness and respect.

* * * * *

Now you are to know that the Green Knight, who was the head of that
party that tried to stand against Sir Launcelot at the bridge as
aforesaid, when he beheld that the horse of Sir Launcelot was shot, rode
away from the place of battle with his men, and that he never stopped
nor stayed until he had reached the castle of Sir Mellegrans. There
coming, he went straightway to where Sir Mellegrans was and told Sir
Mellegrans all that had befallen, and how that Sir Launcelot had
overcome them all with his single hand at the bridge of the torrent. And
he told Sir Mellegrans that haply Sir Launcelot would be coming to that
place before a very great while had passed, although he had been delayed
because his horse had been slain.

[Sidenote: _Sir Mellegrans feareth Sir Launcelot._]

At that Sir Mellegrans was put to great anxiety, for he also knew that
Sir Launcelot would be likely to be at that place before a very great
while, and he wist that there would be great trouble for him when that
should come to pass. So he began to cast about very busily in his mind
for some scheme whereby he might destroy Sir Launcelot. And at last he
hit upon a scheme; and that scheme was unworthy of him both as a knight
and as a gentleman.

So when news was brought to Sir Mellegrans that Sir Launcelot was there
in front of the castle in a cart, Sir Mellegrans went down to the
barbican of the castle and looked out of a window of the barbican and
beheld Sir Launcelot where he stood in the cart before the gate of the
castle. And Sir Mellegrans said, "Sir Launcelot, is it thou who art
there in the cart?"

Sir Launcelot replied: "Yea, thou traitor knight, it is I, and I come to
tell thee th