id not stop to explain. He jumped into the
cart and told the driver to go quickly.

Some of the ladies of Queen Guinevere were looking out of their
window, and one said to her:

"See, my queen, there is a poor knight going to be hanged."

The queen looked out of the window and recognized Sir Lancelot by
the three lions blazoned upon his shield. She was overjoyed, and
waved him a glad greeting as he came up to the castle gate.

Sir Lancelot beat on the gate with his shield, and cried:

"Come out, false traitor, Sir Malgrace; come out and fight. If
you do not, you will be branded as a coward forever."

At first Sir Malgrace thought that he would keep his gates shut
fast and not answer the challenge. But in those days it was a
sign of great cowardice not to accept a challenge. Moreover,
since Sir Lancelot had been able to reach the castle in spite of
the archers, he was afraid other knights of the Round Table might
do the same. Then they would besiege him and force him to
surrender. Still he was afraid to fight. So he went to Queen
Guinevere and said:

"Fair queen, remember how I saved your ten knights when I could
have killed them. Now I am sorry I took you prisoner. I beg that
you will go to Sir Lancelot and urge him not to fight. Then I
will entertain him in this castle with the best I have, and
to-morrow you shall all go back to the court."

Then the queen said:

"Peace is always better than war. I will do the best I can."

So she went down to Sir Lancelot, who still beat upon the gate,
and besought him to come in peaceably, for Sir Malgrace was
sorry for what he had done. Sir Lancelot was unwilling, for he
knew that Sir Malgrace was a traitor, deserving punishment.
Still, he could not refuse the queen anything she asked him, and,
therefore, he entered the castle.

Sir Malgrace greeted him with politeness, and served to him and
to the others of Arthur's Court, a great banquet. After that, to
the surprise of everyone, he rose and accused the queen of
treason. All the company was astonished. Sir Lancelot was very
angry.

"If you say the queen is a traitress," he cried, "you shall fight
with me, although you were afraid just now."

"I am not afraid to fight," said Sir Malgrace.

"When and where will you meet me in combat?" asked Sir Lancelot.

"In eight days," replied Sir Malgrace, "in the field near
Westminster."

Sir Lancelot agreed to this. Then Queen Guinevere rose with all
her attendants and we