ny great deeds have I done for her love, yet never
shall I win a smile from her eyes."

"Deep is your grief, indeed," said Epinegris, with a heart-breaking
sigh, "yet it is but a jest to my sorrow. For my lady loved me, and I
won her with my hands. But, alas! this day I have lost her and am left
here to moan. I took her from an earl and two knights that were with
her; but as we sat here this day, telling each other of our loves, there
came an errant knight, named Helior de Preuse, and challenged me to
fight for my lady. You see what followed. He wounded me so that he left
me for dead and took my lady with him. So my sorrow is deepest, for I
have rejoiced in my love, and you never have. To have and lose is far
worse than never to own."

"That is true," said Palamides. "But yet I have the deepest cause for
grief, for your love is not hopeless, like mine. And I shall prove this,
for if I can find this Helior he shall be made to yield you your lady,
unless he prove able to deal with me as he has with you."

Then he helped Epinegris on his horse and led him to a hermitage near
by, where he left him under the care of the holy hermit. Here Palamides
stayed not long, but walked out under the shadow of the green leaves, to
be a while alone with his woes. But not far had he gone before he saw
near him a knight, who bore a shield that he had seen Hector de Maris
wear. With him were ten other knights, who sheltered themselves from the
noontide heat under the green leaves.

As they stood there another knight came by whose shield was green, with
a white lion in its midst, and who led a lady on a palfrey. As he came
up, the knight who bore Sir Hector's shield rode fiercely after him, and
bade him turn and defend his lady.

"That I must, in knightly duty," cried the other.

Then the two knights rode together with such might that horses and men
together were hurled to the earth. Drawing their swords, they now fought
sturdily for the space of an hour. In the end the knight of the white
lion was stricken to the earth and forced to beg for his life.

Palamides stood under the leaves, watching this combat till it came to
its end. Then he went to the lady, whom he believed to be her whom he
had promised to rescue. Taking her gently by the hand, he asked her if
she knew a knight named Epinegris.

"Alas! that ever I did," she sadly replied. "For his sake I have lost my
liberty, and for mine he has lost his life."

"Not so badly as th