one
undertook to stay him in his going. So Sir Launcelot reached the
courtyard of the castle, and when he was come there he set his horn to
his lips, and blew a blast that sounded terribly loud and shrill
throughout the entire place.

Meantime, there was great hurrying hither and thither in the castle and
a loud outcry of many voices, and many came to the windows and looked
down into the courtyard and there beheld Sir Launcelot standing clad in
full armor, glistening very bright in the morning light of the sun.

Meantime several messengers had run to where Sir Mellegrans was and told
him that Sir Launcelot had escaped out of that pit wherein he had fallen
and that he was there in the courtyard of the castle in full armor.

At that Sir Mellegrans was overwhelmed with amazement, and a great fear
seized upon him and gripped at his vitals. And after a while he too went
by, to a certain place whence he could look down into the courtyard, and
there he also beheld Sir Launcelot where he stood shining in the
sunlight.

Now at that moment Sir Launcelot lifted up his eyes and espied Sir
Mellegrans where he was at the window of that place, and immediately he
knew Sir Mellegrans. Thereupon he cried out in a loud voice: "Sir
Mellegrans, thou traitor knight! Come down and do battle, for here I
await thee to come and meet me."

But when Sir Mellegrans heard those words he withdrew very hastily from
the window where he was, and he went away in great terror to a certain
room where he might be alone. For beholding Sir Launcelot thus free of
that dungeon from which he had escaped he knew not what to do to flee
from his wrath. Wherefore he said to himself: "Fool that I was, to bring
this knight into my castle, when I might have kept him outside as long
as I chose to do so! What now shall I do to escape from his vengeance?"

[Sidenote: _Sir Mellegrans taketh counsel._]

So after a while Sir Mellegrans sent for several of his knights and he
took counsel of them as to what he should do in this pass. These say to
him: "Messire, you yourself to fulfil your schemes have brought yonder
knight into this place, when God knows he could not have come in of his
own free will. So now that he is here, it behooves you to go and arm
yourself at all points and to go down to the courtyard, there to meet
him and to do battle with him. For only by overcoming him can you hope
to escape his vengeance."

But Sir Mellegrans feared Sir Launcelot with all