“Lord,” said the Lady Nymue, “who he is, and of what quality, shall, I hope, be made manifest in due time; just now I would not wish that he should be known even unto you.  But touching him, I may say that it was for his sake that I sent my damsel to meet you at the cross-roads awhile ago.  But of that, more anon; for see! the feast is now spread which we have prepared for your entertainment.  So let us first eat and drink and make merry together, and then we shall speak further of this matter.”

[Sidenote:  The Lady of the Lake prepareth a feast for King Arthur] So they all six went and sat down to the table that had been spread for them in the open meadow-land.  For the night was very pleasant and warm and a wonderful full moon shone down upon them with a marvellous lustre, and there was a pleasant air, soft and warm, from the forest, and, what with the scores of bright waxen tapers that stood in silver candlesticks upon the table (each taper sparkling as bright as any star), the night was made all illuminate like to some singular mid-day.  There was set before them a plenty of divers savory meats and of several excellent wines, some as yellow as gold, and some as red as carbuncle, and they ate and they drank and they made merry in the soft moonlight with talk and laughter.  Somewhiles they told Sir Pellias and the lady of all that was toward at court at Camelot; otherwhiles Sir Pellias and the lady told them such marvellous things concerning the land in which they two dwelt that it would be hard to believe that the courts of Heaven could be fairer than the courts of Fairyland whence they had come.

Then, after the feast was ended, the Lady of the Lake said to King Arthur, “Sir, an I have won your favor in any way, there is a certain thing I would ask of you.”  To the which King Arthur made reply:  “Ask it, Lady, and it shall be granted thee, no matter what it may be.”  “Sir,” said the Lady of the Lake, “this is what I would ask of you.  I would ask you to look upon this youth who sits beside me.  He is so dear to me that I cannot very well make you know how dear he is.  I have brought him hither from our dwelling-place for one certain reason; to wit, that you should make him knight.  That is the great favor I would ask of you.  To this intent I have brought armor and all the appurtenances of knighthood; for he is of such noble lineage that no armor in the world could be too good for him.”

“Lady,” quoth King Arthur, “I will do what you ask with much pleasure and gladness.  But, touching that armor of which you speak, it is my custom to provide anyone whom I make a knight with armor of mine own choosing.”

To this the Lady of the Lake smiled very kindly, saying, “Lord, I pray you, let be in this case, for I daresay that the armor which hath been provided for this youth shall be so altogether worthy of your nobility and of his future credit that you will be entirely contented with it.”  And with that, King Arthur was altogether satisfied.