hree or four leagues from the court, and when he
returned he was so equipped that even those who knew him perfectly
could not recognise him by the arms he bore. The damsel, whose injustice
toward her sister was evident, presented him at court in the sight of
all, for she intended with his help to triumph in the dispute where she
had no rights. So she said to the King: "My lord, time passes. The
noon hour will soon be gone, and this is the last day. As you see, I am
prepared to defend my claim. If my sister were going to return, there
would be nothing to do but await her arrival. But I may praise God that
she is not coming back again. It is evident that she cannot better her
affairs, and that her trouble has been for naught. For my part, I have
been ready all the time up to this last day, to prove my claim to what
is mine. I have proved my point entirely without a fight, and now I
may rightfully go to accept my heritage in peace; for I shall render no
accounting for it to my sister as long as I live, and she will lead a
wretched and miserable existence." Then the King, who well knew that the
damsel was disloyally unjust toward her sister, said to her: "My dear,
upon my word, in a royal court one must wait as long as the king's
justice sits and deliberates upon the verdict. It is not yet time to
pack up, for it is my belief that your sister will yet arrive in time."
Before the King had finished, he saw the Knight with the Lion and the
damsel with him. They two were advancing alone, having slipped away from
the lion, who had stayed where they spent the night.

(Vv. 5925-5990.) The King saw the damsel whom he did not fail to
recognise, and he was greatly pleased and delighted to see her, for
he was on her side of the quarrel, because he had regard for what was
right. Joyfully he cried out to her as soon as he could: "Come forward,
fair one: may God save you!" When the other sister hears these words,
she turns trembling, and sees her with the knight whom she had brought
to defend in her claim: then she turned blacker than the earth. The
damsel, after being kindly welcomed by all, went to where the King was
sitting. When she had come before him, she spoke to him thus: "God save
the King and his household. If my rights in this dispute can be settled
by a champion, then it will be done by this knight who has followed
me hither. This frank and courteous knight had many other things to do
elsewhere; but he felt such pity for me th