se reached the court of the
King as she had promised to do, and the King and the court gave her
royal greeting.

Then Queen Margaise looked all about and by and by she said, "Where is
my son Gareth whom I sent thitherward a year ago?"

At that King Arthur was very much astonished, and for a little he wist
not what to think; then he said, "I know of no such one as Gareth."

[Sidenote: _Queen Margaise grieveth for Sir Gareth._]

Upon this Queen Margaise was filled with anxiety, for she wist not what
to believe had happened to her son. So her color changed several times
and several times she tried to speak and could not. Then at last she did
speak, saying: "Woe is me if harm should have befallen him, for certes
he is the very flower of all my children."

Then King Arthur took suddenly thought of Beaumains and he said:
"Sister, take heart and look up, for I believe that no harm but rather
great honor hath befallen thy son. Now tell me, did he come hither about
the time of the feast of Pentecost a year ago?" And the Queen said,
"Yea." Then King Arthur said: "Tell me, was thy son fair of face and had
he ruddy hair and was he tall and broad of girth and had he a dwarf
named Axatalese with him?" And the Queen said, "Yea, that was he!" Then
King Arthur said: "He hath been here, but we knew him not." And the
Queen said, "What hath befallen him?"

Then King Arthur told the Queen his sister all that had befallen. For he
told her how that Gareth had come thither and in what guise; and he told
her how Gareth had dwelt all that year unknown at the court under the
name of Beaumains because of the whiteness of his hands; and he told her
how that Beaumains had gone forth upon that adventure to the Castle
Dangerous; and he told her how he had succeeded in that adventure; and
he told her of the several other things that are herein told, and ever
Queen Margaise listened to him.

But when King Arthur had finished his telling the Queen was very angry
and she said: "Methinks, my brother, that you should have known my son
for one of high and noble degree, even though he were clad in green as
you tell me and even though he did beseech no greater boon of you than
food and drink and lodging. For certes there was ever that in his
bearing that bespake better things than these."

[Sidenote: _King Arthur placates Queen Margaise._]

Then King Arthur, speaking very mildly, said: "My sister, how may one
know another, his name and his degree, on