or all the months of her sorrow.

The bells throughout the city were set ringing, and there was public
rejoicing through the length and breadth of the land, for all were glad
exceedingly that their dear lady was happy, and that their lord was
come to his own again.

Never again did Sir Owen leave his lady while she lived. Elined was
advanced to the place of Chief Lady of the Household, while Decet was
made Head Huntsman, because he loved the forest, and knew the ways of
every bird and beast that lived therein.

IX

OF SIR LANCELOT AND THE FAIR MAID OF ASTOLAT

It befell on a time that King Arthur made proclamation of a great joust
and tournament which should be holden at Camelot fifteen days after the
Feast of the Assumption. The noise of it went forth throughout all the
king's dominions, and knights and barons, and earls and kings, made
haste to get them ready to go thither.

Sir Lancelot had but lately been sore wounded, and told the king that
he could not hope to be at the joust, for fear that his wound might
break forth afresh. The king was much aggrieved thereat, and would fain
have made proclamation to put off the joust, but that many knights were
already set forth from distant places, and great would be the
disappointment.

Therefore, on the day that the king was to journey from London to
Camelot, he set forth with a heavy heart. For though he knew there
would be many a brave onfall and stout bickering, yet, as Sir Lancelot
had become the most valiant knight in all the island of Britain, the
king had greatly desired that the knight should show how he excelled
all the doughty warriors that would come from all parts.

When all the knights had gone from the king's palace in London, Sir
Lancelot pined in the great hall. The chatter of the ladies and the
tricks of the pages became irksome to him, and he began to think how
gay must be the company of the knights of the Round Table, as they rode
through the leafy country ways towards Camelot, with the great Arthur
at their head.

'I will see the king's leech,' he said to himself, 'and bid him give me
some medicament that shall strengthen my wound. For I cannot abide that
I stay here like some toothless old hound, while his fellows are gone
to the hunting.'

So Sir Lancelot betook him to the lodging of Morgan Todd, the king's
physician, but found that he too had gone with the king.

When Sir Lancelot was turning away, sore aggrieved and angry, the ma