e healed and ye shall
have good cheer until to-morrow.'

Therewith there was all manner of sweetness and savour in the place,
and Sir Bors saw as in a mist a shining vessel borne by a wondrous
maiden. He knew that this was the Holy Graal; and he bowed his head,
and forthwith he was whole of his wounds.

On the morrow he departed after a night's sweet sleep, and rode to
Arthur's court and told of his adventures.

The king and queen and all the fellowship of the Round Table were
passing glad to see Sir Bors whole and well, and they made much of him,
for they felt that he would do things of great renown.

Then at the feast of Pentecost went all the court to the minster to
hear their service; and when they returned to the palace the king
ordered that dinner should be prepared in the hall of the Round Table,
for this was one of the days when he was wont to assemble all his
knights at a great feast of knighthood.

While they waited for the horn to sound, warning them that the meal was
ready, one came running to the king, saying that a thing of marvel had
happened. And Arthur went to the hall of the Round Table with his
knights, and there in the seats about the great circular board they
found letters of gold written, which said, 'Here should sit Sir
Bedevere,' or 'Here should sit Sir Gawaine,' and thus was the name of a
knight written in every seat.

In the Siege, or Seat, Perilous, where twice or thrice a reckless
knight had dared to sit, but only to be struck dead by a sudden
flashing blow of mystery, there were written the words, 'In the four
hundredth and fourth and fiftieth year after the passion of our Lord,
shall he that shall fill this seat come among ye.'

All the knights marvelled and looked each at the other.

'It seemeth me,' said Lancelot, 'that this is the very day on which
this seat shall be filled by him for whom it is appointed, for this is
the four hundred and fifty-fourth winter since Christ died on the
rood.'

It was seen that on each side of the Siege Perilous was written, on the
right one, the name of Sir Perceval, and on the left one, the name of
Sir Bors.

Then the horn was sounded to dinner, and each knight took the seat
appointed for him, and young knights served them. All the sieges round
the table were filled except the Siege Perilous.

Men ate and drank soberly, for they felt that an adventure strange and
marvellous should happen that day, and so indeed it befell.

For when they had