le, betaking his way to the court of King Arthur.

For he said to himself: "Haply by this time they have some news of Sir
Launcelot. So I will straightway return to the court of the King and
learn if that be so."

[Sidenote: _Sir Ewaine returneth to the court of the King._]

Now Sir Ewaine, because he had forgotten all about his life at the
Valley of the Fountain, had no thought that he had been gone from that
court for a longer time than a fortnight, wherefore when he was come
amongst his friends again and when he found that wellnigh a year had
passed, he knew not what to think. "How is this," he said, "and what
hath befallen me? Surely there was something that was like to a dream
that I cannot remember. What is it that hath happened to me? I know not
what it is." So Sir Ewaine was ashamed that he should not be able to
remember what had happened to him for the year that had passed,
wherefore he held his peace and said nothing concerning the matter. But
ever Sir Ewaine feared lest he should betray to his friends that he had
forgotten a whole year of his life. So it was he said to himself: "After
that I have rested a little here at the court of the King I will set
forth again in quest of news of Sir Launcelot. For maybe by and by I may
be able to remember what I have forgotten of this year that hath
passed."

[Sidenote: _King Arthur rideth afield._]

But Sir Ewaine did not immediately depart from the court, and so it
chanced upon a certain day, the weather being very pleasant, King Arthur
went afield with certain of his court and Sir Ewaine was one of those.
That time it was early summer weather, and the breezes were soft and
balmy, and full of the odor of growing things. So when the heat of the
day was come the King ordained that a pavilion should be erected at a
certain spot that pleased him very well, and he and the Queen and their
courts sat in that pavilion at a fair feast which the attendants of the
court had prepared for them.

[Sidenote: _There cometh a damsel to the King's pavilion._]

Now whilst they so sat, there came of a sudden a bustle and a sound of
several voices talking without, and anon there came into the pavilion a
damsel very fair of face and with curling yellow hair. And the damsel
was clad in garments of yellow silk and she wore a frontlet of gold upon
her head, and she wore shoes of variegated leather with latchets of gold
upon her feet. And she was further adorned with necklaces of gold an