"Sir," saith she, "My father's hold is not far away."
"Lady," saith Lancelot, "Willingly will I go sith that you beseech me
thereof."
They ride so long right amidst the forest, that presently they come to
the castle of the Vavasour, that was sitting on the bridge of his
castle, right sorrowful and troubled because of his daughter. Lancelot
is gone on before and alighteth. The Vavasour riseth up to meet him,
and Lancelot recounteth unto him how his daughter hath been wedded, and
that he hath been at the wedding. Thereof the Vavasour maketh right
great joy. Therewithal, behold you, the knight and the Vavasour's
daughter that are straightway alighted, and the Vavasour thanketh
Lancelot much of the honour he hath done his daughter. Therewith he
departeth from the castle and rideth amidst the forest the day long,
and meeteth a damsel and a dwarf that came a great gallop.
"Sir," saith the damsel to Lancelot, "From whence come you?"
"Damsel," saith he, "I come from the Vavasour's castle that is in this
forest."
"Did you meet," saith she, "a knight and a damsel on your way?"
"Yea," saith Lancelot, "He hath wedded her."
"Say you true?" saith she.
"I tell you true," saith Lancelot, "But had I not been there, he would
not have wedded her."
"Shame and ill adventure may you have thereof, for you have reft me of
the thing in the world that most I loved. And know you well of a truth
that joy of him shall she never have, and if the knight had been armed
as are you, never would he have done your will, but his own. And this
is not the first harm you have done me; you and Messire Gawain between
you have slain my uncle and my two cousins-german in the forest, whom
behoved me bury in the chapel where you were, there where my dwarf that
you see here was making the graves in the burial-ground."
"Damsel," saith Lancelot, "true it is that I was there, but I departed
from the grave-yard, honour safe."
"True," saith the dwarf, "For the knights that were there were craven,
and failed."
"Fair friend," saith Lancelot, "Rather would I they should be coward
toward me than hardy."
"Lancelot," saith the damsel, "Much outrage have you done, for you slew
the Knight of the Waste House, there whither the brachet led Messire
Gawain, but had he there been known, he would not have departed so
soon, for he was scarce better loved than you, and God grant you may
find a knight that may abate the outrages that are in your heart and in
his; for great rejoicing would there be thereof, for many a good knight
have you slain, and I myself will bring about trouble for you, so
quickly as I may."