Therewith the damsels pass forth and the knights are all adread and
look one at the other. Howbeit Messire Gawain may not withdraw his
eyes from the three drops of blood, and when he would fain kiss them
they vanish away, whereof he is right sorrowful, for he may not set his
hand nor aught that of him is to touch thereof. Therewithal behold you
the two damsels that come again before the table and seemeth to Messire
Gawain that there are three, and he looketh up and it seemeth him to be
the Graal all in flesh, grid he seeth above, as him thinketh, a King
crowned, nailed upon a rood, and the spear was still fast in his side.
Messire Gawain seeth it and hath great pity thereof, and of nought doth
he remember him save of the pain that this King suffereth. And the
Master of the Knights summoneth him again by word of mouth, and telleth
him that if he delayeth longer, never more will he recover it. Messire
Gawain is silent, as he that heareth not the knight speak, and looketh
upward. But the damsels go back into the chapel and carry back the
most Holy Graal and the Lance, and the knights make the tablecloths be
taken away and rise from meat and go into another hall and leave
Messire Gawain all alone. And he looketh all around and seeth the
doors all shut and made fast, and looketh to the foot of the hall and
seeth two candlesticks with many candles burning round about the
chessboard, and he seeth that the pieces are set, whereof the one sort
are silver and the other gold. Messire Gawain sitteth at the game, and
they of gold played against him and mated him twice. At the third
time, when he thought to revenge himself and saw that he had the worse,
he swept the pieces off the board. And the damsel issued forth of a
chamber and made a squire take the chess-board and the pieces and so
carry them away. And Messire Gawain, that was way-worn of his
wanderings to come thither where he now hath come, slept upon the couch
until the morrow when it was day, and he heard a horn sound right
shrill.