"Sir, right welcome may you be!"
"Good adventure may you have!" saith Messire Gawain. "Fair sweet
friend, what is this castle here, sir?"
"Sir, it is the castle of the Widow Lady."
"What is the name thereof;"
"Camelot; and it belonged to Alain li Gros, that was a right loyal
knight and worshipful man. He is dead this long time, and my Lady hath
remained without succour and without counsel. Wherefore is the castle
warred upon of them that would fain reave her thereof by force. The
Lord of the Moors and another knight are they that war upon her and
would fain reave her of this castle as they have reft her of seven
other already. Greatly desireth she the return of her son, for no
counsel hath she save only of her one daughter and of five old knights
that help her to guard the castle. Sir," saith he, "The door is made
fast and the bridge drawn up, for they guard the castle closely, but,
so please you, you will tell me your name and I will go before and make
the bridge be lowered and the gate unfastened, and will say that you
will lodge within to-night."
"Gramercy," saith Messire Gawain, "right well shall my name be known or
ever I depart from the castle."
The squire goeth his way a great pace, and Messire Gawain tided softly
at a walk for he had yet a long way to go. And he found a chapel that
stood between the forest and the castle, and it was builded upon four
columns of marble and within was a right fair sepulchre. The chapel
had no fence of any kind about it so that he seeth the coffin within
full clearly, and Messire Gawain bideth awhile to look thereon. And
the squire entered into the castle and hath made the bridge be lowered
and the door opened. He alighteth and is come into the hall when was
the Widow Lady and her daughter. Saith the Lady to the squire:
"Wherefore have you returned from doing my message? Lady, for the
comeliest knight that I have seen ever, and fain would he harbour
within to-night, and he is garnished of all arms and rideth without
company."
"And what name hath he?" saith the Lady.
"Lady, he told me you should know it well or ever he depart from this
castle."
Therewithal the Lady gan weep for joy and her daughter also, and,
lifting her hands towards heaven, "Fair Lord God!" saith the Widow
Lady, "And this be indeed my son, never before have I had joy that
might be likened to this! Now shall I not be disherited of mine
honour, neither shall I lose my castle whereof they would fain reave me
by wrong, for that no Lord nor champion have I!"