So that day Sir Clamadius withdrew from the castle of Beaurepaire with all his array of knights, and after that he went to the court of King Arthur and did in all respects as Sir Percival had commanded him to do.

So it was that Sir Percival fulfilled that quest, and set the Lady Blanchefleur free from duress; and may God grant that you also fulfil all your quests with as great honor and nobility as therein exhibited.

[Illustration:  Sir Kay interrupts ye meditations of Sir Percival]

Chapter Fifth

How Sir Percival repaid Sir Kay the buffet he one time gave Yelande the Dumb Maiden, and how, thereafter, he went forth to seek his own lady of love.

Now, after these adventures aforesaid, Sir Percival remained for a long while at Beaurepaire, and during that time he was the knight-champion to the Lady Blanchefleur.  And the Lady Blanchefleur loved Sir Percival every day with a greater and greater passion, but Sir Percival showed no passion of love for her in return, and thereat Lady Blanchefleur was greatly troubled.

[Sidenote:  Sir Percival and the Lady Blanchefleur walk together] Now one day the Lady Blanchefleur and Sir Percival were walking together on a terrace; and it was then come to be the fall of the year, so that the leaves of the trees were showering all down about them like flakes of gold.  And that day the Lady Blanchefleur loved Sir Percival so much that her heart was pierced with that love as though with a great agony.  But Sir Percival wist not of that.

Then the Lady Blanchefleur said:  “Messire, I would that thou wouldst stay here always as our knight-champion.”

“Lady,” quoth Percival, “that may not be, for in a little while now I must leave you.  For, though I shall be sad to go from such a friendly place as this is, yet I am an errant knight, and as I am errant I must fulfil many adventures besides the one I have accomplished here.”

“Messire,” said the Lady Blanchefleur, “if you will but remain here, this castle shall be yours and all that it contains.”

At this Sir Percival was greatly astonished, wherefore he said:  “Lady, how may that be?  Lo! this castle is yours, and no one can take it away from you, nor can you give it to me for mine own.”

Then the Lady Blanchefleur turned away her face and bowed her head, and said in a voice as though it were stifling her for to speak:  “Percival, it needs not to take the castle from me; take thou me for thine own, and then the castle and all shall be thine.”

[Sidenote:  Sir Percival denies the Lady Blanchefleur] At that Sir Percival stood for a space very still as though without breathing.  Then by and by he said:  “Lady, meseems that no knight could have greater honor paid to him than that which you pay to me.  Yet should I accept such a gift as you offer, then I would be doing such dishonor to my knighthood that would make it altogether unworthy of that high honor you pay it.  For already I have made my vow to serve a lady, and if I should forswear that vow, I would be a dishonored and unworthy knight.”