s, or
a joke?" And Kay replied: "O King, fair sire, I have no desire to jest,
and I take my leave quite seriously. No other reward or wages do I wish
in return for the service I have given you. My mind is quite made up to
go away immediately." "Is it in anger or in spite that you wish to
go?" the King inquired; "seneschal, remain at court, as you have done
hitherto, and be assured that I have nothing in the world which I would
not give you at once in return for your consent to stay." "Sire," says
Kay, "no need of that. I would not accept for each day's pay a measure
of fine pure gold." Thereupon, the King in great dismay went off to
seek the Queen. "My lady," he says, "you do not know the demand that the
seneschal makes of me. He asks me for leave to go away, and says he will
no longer stay at court; the reason of this I do not know. But he will
do at your request what he will not do for me. Go to him now, my lady
dear. Since he will not consent to stay for my sake, pray him to remain
on your account, and if need be, fall at his feet, for I should never
again be happy if I should lose his company." [43] The King sends the
Queen to the seneschal, and she goes to him. Finding him with the rest,
she went up to him, and said: "Kay, you may be very sure that I am
greatly troubled by the news I have heard of you. I am grieved to say
that I have been told it is your intention to leave the King. How does
this come about? What motive have you in your mind? I cannot think that
you are so sensible or courteous as usual. I want to ask you to remain:
stay with us here, and grant my prayer." "Lady," he says, "I give you
thanks; nevertheless, I shall not remain." The Queen again makes her
request, and is joined by all the other knights. And Kay informs her
that he is growing tired of a service which is unprofitable. Then the
Queen prostrates herself at full length before his feet. Kay beseeches
her to rise, but she says that she will never do so until he grants her
request. Then Kay promises her to remain, provided the King and she will
grant in advance a favour he is about to ask. "Kay," she says, "he will
grant it, whatever it may be. Come now, and we shall tell him that upon
this condition you will remain." So Kay goes away with the Queen to the
King's presence. The Queen says: "I have had hard work to detain Kay;
but I have brought him here to you with the understanding that you will
do what he is going to ask." The King sighed with