en lent her assent.

So King Ban summoned to him the seneschal of the castle, who was named Sir
Malydor le Brun, and said to him: "Messire, I go hence to-night by a secret
pass, with intent to betake me unto King Arthur, and to beseech his aid in
this extremity. Moreover, I shall take with me my lady and the young child
Launcelot, to place them within the care of King Arthur during these
dolorous wars. But besides these, I will take no other one with me but only
my favorite esquire, Foliot. Now I charge thee, sir, to hold this castle in
my behalf with all thy might and main, and yield it not to our enemies upon
any extremity; for I believe I shall in a little while return with
sufficient aid from King Arthur to compass the relief of this place."

[Sidenote: King Ban with Queen Helen and Launcelot escape from Trible] So
when night had fallen very dark and still, King Ban, and Queen Helen, and
the young child Launcelot, and the esquire Foliot left the town privily by
means of a postern gate. Thence they went by a secret path, known only to a
very few, that led down a steep declivity of rocks, with walls of rock upon
either side that were very high indeed, and so they came out in safety
beyond the army of King Claudas and into the forest of the valley below.
And the forest lay very still and solemn and dark in the silence of the
nighttime.

Having thus come out in safety into the forest, that small party journeyed
on with all celerity that they were able to achieve until, some little time
before dawn, they came to where was a lake of water in an open meadow of
the forest. Here they rested for a little while, for Queen Helen had fallen
very weary with the rough and hasty journey which they had traveled.

[Sidenote: Foliot seeth a light] Now whilst they sat there resting, Foliot
spake of a sudden, saying unto King Ban: "Lord, what is that light that
maketh the sky so bright yonder-ways?" Then King Ban looked a little and
presently said: "Methinks it must be the dawn that is breaking." "Lord,"
quoth Foliot, "that cannot very well be; for that light in the sky lieth in
the south, whence we have come, and not in the east, where the sun should
arise."

Then King Ban's heart misgave him, and his soul was shaken with a great
trouble. "Foliot," he said, "I believe that you speak sooth and that that
light bodes very ill for us all." Then he said: "Stay here for a little and
I will go and discover what that light may be." Therewit