wonderfully.

"By what name shall we call this sword?" they now asked her.

"Its name is," she answered, "the sword with the strange girdle; and
that of the sheath is, mover of blood. But no man with blood in him
shall ever see the part of the sheath that was made of the tree of
life."

Then she took the sword and girded it about Galahad, fastening the
golden buckle about his waist.

"Now reck I not though I die," she said, "for I hold that I am one of
the world's blessed maidens, since it has been given to me to arm the
worthiest knight in the world."

After this they left the magic ship at her bidding, and entered the one
in which they had come. And immediately there rose a great wind which
blew their vessel from between the rocks, and carried it afar over the
sea.

CHAPTER VII.

HOW LANCELOT SAW THE SANGREAL.

The ship that bore the three knights and the maiden came ashore at
length near a castle in Scotland, where they landed. From here they
journeyed far, while many were their adventures, all of which tried
their virtue and belonged to the quest of the Sangreal. In them all the
sword with the strange girdle proved of such marvellous worth that no
men, were they a hundred in number, could stand before it.

Finally they came to a castle which had the strange custom that every
maiden who passed that way should yield a dish full of blood. When they
asked the reason of this dreadful custom, they were told,--

"There is in this castle a lady to whom the domain belongs, and who has
lain for years sick of a malady which no leech can cure. And a wise man
has said that she can only be cured if she have a dish full of blood
from a pure virgin and a king's daughter, with which to anoint her."

"Fair knights," said Percivale's sister, "I alone can aid the sick lady,
who must die otherwise."

"If you bleed as they demand, you may die," said Galahad. "Is not your
life worth more than hers?"

"This I answer," said she. "If I yield not my blood there will be mortal
war between you and the knights of the castle to-morrow, and many men
must die that one woman may not bleed. If I die to heal the sick lady I
shall gain renown and do God's will, and surely one harm is better than
many. That you will fight for me to the death, I know, but wherefore
should you?"

Say what they would, she held to her will, and the next morning bade the
people of the castle bring forth the sick lady. She lay in great pain
and suf