ith these came a damsel of such
extraordinary beauty and gracefulness of figure that Sir Percival stood
amazed. For her face was fair beyond words; red upon white, like
rose-leaves upon cream; and her eyes were bright and glancing like those of
a falcon, and her nose was thin and straight, and her lips were very red,
like to coral for redness, and her hair was dark and abundant and like to
silk for softness. She was clad all in a dress of black, shot with stars of
gold, and the dress was lined with ermine and was trimmed with sable at the
collar and the cuffs and the hem thereof.

So Sir Percival stood and gazed at that lady with a pleasure beyond words
to express, and he wist that this must be the Lady Blanchefleur, for whose
sake he had come thither.

And the Lady Blanchefleur looked upon Sir Percival with great kindness, for
he appeared to her like to a hero for strength and beauty; wherefore she
smiled upon Sir Percival very graciously and came forward and gave him her
hand. And Sir Percival took her hand and set it to his lips; and lo! her
hand was as soft as silk and very warm, rosy and fragrant, and the fingers
thereof glistered with bright golden rings and with gems of divers colors.

Then that beautiful Lady Blanchefleur said: "Messire, this is a very
knightly thing for you to do to come hither to this place. And you come in
good time, for food groweth very scarce with us so that in a little while
we must face starvation. For because of the watch that Sir Clamadius
keepeth upon this place, no one can either enter in or go out. Yea, thou
art the very first one who hath come hither since he has sat down before
Beaurepaire."

[Sidenote: The Lady Blanchefleur telleth her sorrows to Sir Percival] Then
presently she ceased smiling and her face clouded over; then bright tears
began to drop from the Lady Blanchefleur's eyes; and then she said: "I fear
me greatly that Sir Clamadius will at last seize upon this castle, for he
hath kept us here prisoner for a long while. Yet though he seize the
castle, he shall never seize that which the castle contains. For I keep by
me a little casket of silver, and therein is a dagger, very sharp and fine.
Therefore the day that Sir Clamadius enters into this castle, I shall
thrust that dagger into my heart. For, though Sir Clamadius may seize upon
my castle, he shall never possess my soul."

Then Sir Percival was very sorry for the tears he saw shining upon the Lady
Blanchefleur's