you speak, I will do your will in all ways that I am
able."

So spake Sir Launcelot, and thereat the Lady Elaine smiled upon him in
such wise and with such great loving-kindness that it was as though both
her joy and her great love stood revealed in the midst of that smile.
Quoth she: "Assuredly I shall gain great honor and glory at thy hands.
For I believe that thou art indeed one of the very greatest and foremost
knights in all of the world, as well as the perfect peer of all noble
gentlemen."

Now the Earl, the lord of that castle, had a son hight Sir Tyre, who was
then lying abed, ill of a flux, and the armor of Sir Tyre was at that
place. So the Lady Elaine went to the Earl and she besought him to lend
her that armor for the use of Sir Launcelot, and the Earl listened to
her and gave it to her.

So she had the armor of Sir Tyre brought to Sir Launcelot and thus the
Lady Elaine purveyed him in all wise for that tournament so that no one
might know him who he was.

[Sidenote: _The Lady Elaine giveth her sleeve to Sir Launcelot._]

Then, after all this had been accomplished, the Lady Elaine came to the
chamber where Sir Launcelot was, and her brother Sir Lavaine was with
her. And the Lady bore in her hand a sleeve of flame-colored satin very
richly bedight with many pearls of great price. And she said to Sir
Launcelot: "I beseech you to take this sleeve, Sir Knight, and I beseech
you that you wear it as a favor for my sake."

Then Sir Launcelot smiled very kindly upon the Lady Elaine and he said,
"Will this give you pleasure?" and she said, "Yea." Then Sir Launcelot
smiled again and he said, "It shall be in all things as you will have
it." So he took the sleeve, and he wound it about the crest of the
helmet he was to wear at the tournament, and the sleeve formed a wreath
of satin about the helmet like to a wreath of fire. And the pearls upon
the wreath were like to drops of dew as you behold them of an early
morning. Wherefore because of the brightness of that wreath and because
of the pearls upon it, the favor of the Lady Elaine was of such a sort
that all the world could not but see it what it was. And so Sir
Launcelot accepted the favor of the Lady Elaine the Fair.

Then after Sir Launcelot had thus accepted that favor, Sir Lavaine spake
and said: "Sir Knight Malfait, I beseech you that you will take me with
you unto this tournament as your knight-companion. For I believe that in
your company I shall assur