d
with armlets of gold, wherefore they who sat there were astonished at
the beauty of the damsel and at the suddenness of her coming.

(Now you are to know that maiden was the damsel Elose, and yet Sir
Ewaine knew her not because of the ring of forgetfulness which he wore.)

Then King Arthur arose where he sat, and he said: "Fair demoiselle,
whence come you and what would you here? Tell us, I pray, who are you
who cometh hither like to a fair vision from a dream."

Yet ever the damsel stood within the door of the pavilion, and because
of the dazzling brightness of the sunlight whence she had come she could
not at first see very well within the shadow of the tent. So she said,
"I pray you tell me, is Sir Ewaine at this place?"

To that King Arthur, much wondering, said, "Yea, lady, yonder he sits,"
and thereupon the damsel Elose beheld Sir Ewaine where he was.

[Sidenote: _The damsel Elose accuseth Sir Ewaine of treason._]

Then Elose entered farther into the pavilion and came to where Sir
Ewaine sat. Her eyes shone very bright with anger, and she said: "Sir
Ewaine, I denounce thee as a false knight and a traitor!"

Then Sir Ewaine looked upon the damsel with great astonishment, and
said, "Who art thou, lady, who dost accuse me of being false?"

Upon that the damsel cried out in a very shrill voice, "Thou knowest
very well who I am!"

But ever Sir Ewaine looked very steadily at her and almost he remembered
her, but he could not quite remember her because of that ring which he
wore. Wherefore he said, "Nay, I know thee not."

Then Elose smiled upon Sir Ewaine very bitterly, and she said: "Thou
didst not forget me when thou didst lay in peril of thy life in the
Castle of the Fountain; but now that thou art enjoying thyself with thy
fellows, it pleases thee to forget so poor an one as I, who preserved
thy life for thee. But that I could forgive thee if the need were to
forgive it; yet I cannot forgive thee that thou hast also forgotten that
dear lady, my mistress, unto whom thou didst pledge thy faith, and unto
whom thou art bound in fealty. Messire, thou hast a very short memory."

Then Sir Ewaine cried out in an exceedingly bitter voice like one in
great pain: "Lady, why say ye these things to me? I know you not."

Then Elose came very close to Sir Ewaine and she took his hand, and she
said, "Do you not know me now?" He said, "Nay, I know thee not." Upon
that the damsel raised her right hand with her glove in