that ye be come of noble blood, for so foul and
shamefully did never woman rule a knight as I have done you, and ever
courteously ye have suffered me, and that came never but of gentle
blood."

"Damsel," said Fair-hands, "a knight may little do that may not suffer
a damsel, for whatsoever ye said unto me I took no heed to your words,
for the more ye said the more ye angered me, and my wrath I wreaked
upon them that I had ado withal. And therefore all the missaying that
ye missaid me furthered me in my battle, and caused me to think to show
and prove myself at the end what I was. For peradventure, though I had
meat in King Arthur's kitchen, yet I might have had meat enough in
other places. All that I did to prove and to assay my friends, and
whether I be a gentleman born or not, I let you wit, fair damsel, I
have done you gentleman's service, and peradventure better service yet
will I do ere I depart from you."

"Alas," she said, "good Fair-hands, forgive me all that I have missaid
or done against thee."

"With all my heart," said he, "I forgive it you, and damsel, since it
liketh you to say thus fair to me, wit ye well it gladdeth mine heart
greatly, and now me seemeth there is no knight living but I am able
enough for him."

With this Sir Persant of Inde, the fourth of the brethren that stood in
Fair-hands' way to the siege, espied them as they came upon the fair
meadow where his pavilion was. Sir Persant was the most lordly knight
that ever thou lookedst on. His pavilion and all manner of thing that
there is about, men and women, and horses' trappings, shields and
spears were all of dark blue colour. Anon he and Fair-hands prepared
themselves and rode against one another that both their spears were
shattered to pieces, and their horses fell dead to the earth. Then
they fought two hours and more on foot, until their armour was all hewn
to pieces, and in many places they were wounded. At the last, though
loath to do it, Fair-hands smote Sir Persant above upon the helm so
that he fell grovelling to the earth, and the fierce battle was at an
end. Like his three brethren before, Sir Persant yielded himself and
asked for mercy, and at the damsel's request Fair-hands gladly granted
his life, and received homage and fealty from him and a hundred
knights, to be always at his commandment.

On the morn as the damsel and Sir Fair-hands departed from Sir
Persant's pavilion, "Fair damsel," said Persant, "whitherward