t lady in the land. He hath
played this trick upon us all, to test us. We did not know him, for he
hath grown up to manhood while we have been long away from home. But
ever he hath had an adventurous and witty mind.'

'Sir, I thank you,' said Sir Gringamor, and taking Sir Gareth by the
hand he led him into the bower where sat the Lady Lyones, who sprang to
meet Sir Gareth. To her Sir Gringamor told all that he had heard, and
then left Sir Gareth to tell her more of himself.

And in a little while, at the court of King Arthur, they were married
with great feastings and joustings and with all things to make merry.
And Linet was wedded at the same time to Sir Gaheris. For though the
Lady Linet was sharp of tongue, she was of great and good heart, and
well beloved of all who knew her well.

V

HOW SIR TRISTRAM KEPT HIS WORD

In the days when King Arthur had established his kingdom, he was called
Emperor of Britain and its three islands. Nevertheless, there were
kings who were rulers in their own lands, but they held their
sovereignty of Arthur and had done homage to him and sworn fealty. In
Wales there were two kings, in the north were eleven kings, and these
he had conquered in a great battle by Sherwood Forest; in Cornwall were
two kings, and in Ireland three kings, but all gave service to the
great King Arthur.

That part of Cornwall which was called the lands of Tintagel formed the
kingdom of a prince named Mark, and he owed certain yearly tribute or
truage to King Anguish of South Ireland. It befell one day that King
Anguish sent a messenger, who came to King Mark as he sat in hall, and
said:

'Sir king, my master bids me say that the truage which you owe unto him
is unpaid for seven years past, and if it be not paid he will demand of
you double the sum.'

Now King Mark was a man of a mean and covetous mind, and he loved not
to give money. Therefore, to put off the payment for a little while, he
made answer thus:

'Tell your master that we will pay him no truage; and if your lord says
he will have it, let him send a trusty knight of his land that will
fight for his right, and we will find another to do battle with him.'

When King Anguish heard the message he was wondrous wroth, and called
into him the brother of his queen, Sir Marhaus, a good knight of
prowess nobly proved, and, besides, a knight of the Round Table. The
king craved of him to go and do battle for the truage due from Mark of
Cornwa