robe embroidered with silver. When he beheld Sir Ewaine and
Sir Percival coming into that place, he hastened to meet them and give
them greeting and welcome beyond stint. And he said: "Welcome, welcome,
fair lords! Thrice welcome to this castle! For certes it is a great
glory to us all to have you with us. Moreover, I may tell you that
already there is one of your fellows here at this place, and I believe
you will be very glad to see him."

Quoth Sir Ewaine, "Sir, who is it that is here?"

[Sidenote: _They hear news of Sir Sagramore._]

"It is Sir Sagramore who hath come hither," said the lord of the castle,
and at that Sir Ewaine and Sir Percival cried out with amazement. And
Sir Ewaine said, "How came Sir Sagramore hither, fair lord?"

"I will tell you," said the lord of the castle. "A little before you
came hitherward, there arrived at this place a knight riding without a
shield and seated upon a white mule. This knight requested rest and
refreshment for the night, and upon our asking him his name and degree,
he at first refused to tell, for shame of his condition; yet afterward
he declared that he was Sir Sagramore of King Arthur's court, and a
knight of the Round Table. He also declared that he had met with a sad
mischance and had lost his shield and his war-horse, wherefore he was
travelling in that wise as I have told you."

"Sir," quoth Sir Ewaine, "this is a very strange thing I hear, that Sir
Sagramore should be travelling in that unknightly wise. Wit you that as
Sir Sagramore is a knight of the Round Table, this matter concerns both
Sir Percival and myself very closely. Now I pray you for to let me have
speech with him, so that I may know why it is that he hath travelled in
that wise and without his knightly shield."

"It shall be as you command, Messire," said the lord of the castle,
"and so I will straightway send a messenger to Sir Sagramore with word
that you would have speech with him."

[Sidenote: _Sir Sagramore appeareth._]

So the lord of the castle sent the messenger as he said, and anon there
came Sir Sagramore to where they were. But when Sir Sagramore stood
before Sir Ewaine and Sir Percival, he hung his head full low, as though
not wishing to look those knights in the face because of shame that they
should find him there in such a condition. Then Sir Ewaine said to him:
"Sir, I pray you tell me how you came by such a mischance as this, so
that you ride without your shield and upon a whit