[Illustration:  Sir Launcelot takes the armor of Sir Kay]

Chapter Eighth

How Sir Launcelot Rescued Sir Kay From a Perilous Pass.  Also How He Changed Armor with Sir Kay and what Befell.

One day Sir Launcelot came at early nightfall to a goodly manor-house and there he besought lodging for the night, and lodging was granted to him very willingly.

[Sidenote:  The old gentlewoman makes Sir Launcelot welcome] Now there was no lord of that manor, but only an old gentlewoman of very good breeding and address.  She made Sir Launcelot right welcome and gave such cheer as she could, setting before him a very good supper, hot and savory, and a great beaker of humming mead wherewith to wash it down.  Whilst Sir Launcelot ate, the gentlewoman inquired of him his name and he told her it was Sir Launcelot of the Lake.  “Ha!” quoth she, “I never heard that name before, but it is a very good name.”

At this Sir Launcelot laughed:  “I am glad,” said he, “that my name belikes thee.  As for thy not having heard of it—­well, I am a young knight as yet, having had but three years of service.  Yet I have hopes that by and by it may be better known than it is at this present.”

“Thou sayest well,” quoth she, “for thou art very young yet, wherefore thou mayst not know what thou canst do till thou hast tried.”  And therewith Sir Launcelot laughed again, and said:  “Yea, that is very true.”

Now after Sir Launcelot had supped, his hostess showed him to the lodging she had provided for him wherein to sleep, and the lodging was in a fair garret over the gateway of the court.  So Sir Launcelot went to his bed and, being weary with journeying, he presently fell into a deep and gentle sleep.

[Sidenote:  Sir Launcelot is aroused from sleep] Now about the middle of the night there fell of a sudden the noise of someone beating upon the gate and calling in a loud voice and demanding immediate admittance thereat.  This noise awoke Sir Launcelot, and he arose from his couch and went to the window and looked out to see who it was that shouted so loudly and made such uproar.

The moon was shining at that time, very bright and still, and by the light thereof Sir Launcelot beheld that there was a knight in full armor seated upon horseback without the gate, and that the knight beat upon the gate with the pommel of his sword, and shouted that they should let him in.

But ere anyone could run to answer his call there came a great noise of horses upon the highroad, and immediately after there appeared three knights riding very fiercely that way, and these three knights were plainly pursuing that one knight.  For, when they perceived him, they rode very violently to where he was, and fell upon him fiercely, all three at one time; wherefore, though that one knight defended himself as well as he could, yet was he in a very sorry way, and altogether likely to be overborne.  For those three surrounded him so close to the gate that he could do little to shift himself away from their assaults.