d, but they could give me no tidings of you, and my castle
may I not have again until such time as he be avenged."

"Who, then, was the knight, damsel?" saith Perceval.

"Sir, he was son of your uncle Bruns Brandalis, and were he on live,
would have been one of the best knights in the world."

"And who slew him, damsel?" saith Perceval.

"Sir, the Knight of the Deep Forest that leadeth the lion, foully in
treason there where he thought him safe. For had he been armed in like
manner as was the other, he would not have slain him."

"Damsel," said Perceval, "This grieveth me that he hath slain him, and
it grieveth me likewise of mine uncle King Hermit, whom I would avenge
more willingly than all the men in the world, for he was slain on my
account."

III.

"Most disloyal was this knight, and foully was he fain to avenge him
when he slew a holy man, a hermit that never wished him ill on account
of me and of none other. Right glad shall I be and I may find the
knight, and so, methinketh, will he be of me, for me he hateth as much
as I do him, as I have been told, and Lord God grant, howsoever he may
take it, that I may find him betimes."

"Sir," saith the damsel, "So outrageous a knight is he that no knight
is there in the world so good but he thinketh himself of more worth
than he, and sith that he hateth you with a will, and he knew that you
were here, you and another, or you the third, he would come now at
once, were he in place and free."

"Damsel," saith Perceval, "God give him mischief of his coming, come
whensoever he may!"

"Sir," saith she, "The Deep Forest there, where the Red Knight leadeth
the lion, is towards the castle of Aristor, and, or ever you come by
adventure into the forest, you may well hear some tidings of him!"

BRANCH XXXII.

INCIPIT.

Here beginneth the last branch of the Graal in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

TITLE I.

The story saith that Perceval went his way through the forest. He saw
pass before him two squires, and each carried a wild deer trussed
behind him that had been taken by hounds. Perceval cometh to them a
great pace and maketh them abide.

"Lords," saith he, "Whither will you carry this venison?"

"Sir," say the squires, "To the castle of Ariste, whereof Aristor is
lord."

"Is there great throng of knights at the castle?" saith Perceval.

"Sir," say the squires, "Not a single one is there, but within four
days will