"As for that," said Gringamore, "it can wait. Let us go to dinner."
"He may well be a king"s son," said Linet to her sister, "for he is the most courteous and long-suffering man I ever met. I tried him with such reviling as never lady uttered before, but he bore it all with meek and gentle answers. Yet to armed knights he was like a lion."
As they thus talked, the challenge of Beaumains rang loud from the castle court. Then Gringamore called loudly to him from a window,--
"Cease your boasting, Gareth of Orkney, you will not get your dwarf again."
"Thou coward knight," cried Beaumains. "Bring him here, and do battle with me. Then if you can win him, keep him."
"So I will when I am ready. But you will not get him by loud words."
"Do not anger him, brother," said Lioness. "I have all I want from the dwarf, and he may have him again. But do not let him know who I am. Let him think me a strange lady."
"Very well," said Gringamore; "if that is your wish, he can have the dwarf." Then he went down to the court and said,--
"Sir, I beg your pardon, and am ready to amend all the harm I have done you. Pray alight, and take such cheer as my poor castle affords."
"Shall I have my dwarf?" said Gareth.
"Yes. Since he told me who you are, and of your n.o.ble deeds, I am ready to return him."
Then Gareth dismounted, and the dwarf came and took his horse.
"Oh, my little fellow," said Gareth, "I have had many adventures for your sake."
Gringamore then led him into the hall and presented him to his wife. And while they stood there conversing Dame Lioness came forth dressed like a princess, and was presented to the knight.
When Gareth saw her his feeling for the Lady Lioness weakened in his heart, and it grew ready to vanish as the day pa.s.sed, and he conversed much with this strange and lovely lady. There were all manner of games, and sports of dancing and singing, and the more he beheld her the more he loved her, while through his heart ran ever the thought: "Would that the lady of the Castle Dangerous were half so lovely and charming as this beautiful stranger."
When supper came, Gareth could not eat, and hardly knew where he was, so hot had his love grown. All this was noted by Gringamore, who after supper took his sister aside and said,--
"I can well see how matters stand between you and this n.o.ble knight. And it seems to me you cannot do better than to bestow your hand upon him."
"I should like to try him further," she replied, "though he has done me n.o.ble service, and my heart is warmly turned to him."
Gringamore then went to Gareth and said,--
"Sir, I welcome you gladly to my house, for I can see that you dearly love my sister, and that she loves you as well. With my will she is yours if you wish her."
"If she will accept me," answered Gareth, "there will be no happier man on earth."
"Trust me for that," said Gringamore.
"I fancied I loved the Lady Lioness," said Gareth, "and promised for her sake to return to this country in a twelvemonth. But since I have seen your sister I fear my love for her is gone."
"It was too sudden to be deep," said Gringamore. "She will be consoled, doubt not. Now let me take you to my sister."
Then he led Gareth to his sister and left them together, where they told each other their love, and Gareth kissed her many times, and their hearts were filled with joy.
"But how is it with the Lady Lioness, to whom you vowed your love?" she asked.
"Promised; not vowed," he answered. "And she was not ready to accept it, but gave me a twelvemonth"s probation. Moreover, I saw but her face at a window, and that was little to base love upon."
"Did she look like me?"
"Somewhat, but not half so lovely."
"Do you think you could have loved her so well?"
"No, indeed; for I will vow by sword and spear that there is no woman in the world so charming as you."
"I fear that the Lady Lioness loves you, and that her heart will be broken."
"How could she? She saw so little of me."
"I know she loves you; she has told me so. I bid you to forget me and make her happy."
"That I can never do. You do not love me, or you could not say this."
"You are my heart"s desire. But I feel deeply for the Lady Lioness, whose love I know. If you cannot love her alone, you may love us both together. I grant you this privilege."
"I will not accept it," said Gareth, looking strangely at her smiling countenance. "I love but you; my heart can hold no more."
"You blind fellow," she answered, with a merry laugh, "you looked not at the Lady Lioness closely, or you would not so easily forget your troth plight. Know, sirrah, that I am the lady of the Castle Dangerous, that my name is Lioness, and that I am she whom you have so lightly thrown aside for the love of a strange lady."
Then Gareth looked into her glowing countenance, and saw there that she spoke the truth and that he had been pleasantly beguiled. With a warm impulse of love he caught her in his arms and kissed her rosy lips, exclaiming,--
"I withdraw it all. I love you both; the lady of the Castle Dangerous a little; but the lady of the Castle Amorous as my heart"s mistress, to dwell there while life remains."
Then they conversed long and joyfully, and she told him why she had made her brother steal the dwarf, and why she had deceived him, so as to win his love for herself alone. And they plighted their troth, and vowed that their love for each other should never cease.
Other strange things happened to Gareth in that castle, through the spells of the damsel Linet, who knew something of sorcery. But these we shall not tell, but return to King Arthur"s court, in which at the next feast of Pentecost a high festival was held at Carlion.
Hither, during the feast, came all those whom Gareth had overcome, and yielded themselves, saying that they had been sent thither by a knight named Beaumains. But most of all was Arthur surprised by the deeds of his kitchen boy when the Red Knight of the Red Lawns rode up with six hundred followers, and yielded himself as va.s.sal to Beaumains and to the king. Arthur then, charging him strictly that he should do no more deeds of murder, gave to Sir Ironside, which was the knight"s name, the greatest honors of his court, and also to the green and the red knights, and to Sir Persant of Inde, who were all present with their followers.
But while the court was at feast there came in the queen of Orkney, with a great following of knights and ladies, seeking her young son Gareth.
She was lovingly saluted by her sons Gawaine, Gaheris, and Agravaine, who for fifteen years had not seen her, but she loudly demanded Gareth of her brother King Arthur.
"He was here among you a twelvemonth, and you made a kitchen knave of him, which I hold to be a shame to you all. What have you done to the dear son who was my joy and bliss?"
These words filled all hearts with a strange sensation, and most of all that of Gawaine, who thought it marvellous that he should have made so much of his brother and not known him. Then Arthur told his sister of all that had happened, and cheered her heart with a recital of her son"s great deeds, and promised to have the whole realm searched till he should be found.
"You shall not need," said Lancelot. "My advice is that you send a messenger to Dame Lioness, and request her to come in all haste to court. Let her give you counsel where to find him. I doubt not she knows where he is."
This counsel seemed judicious to the king, and he sent the messenger as requested, who came in due time to the Castle Dangerous, and delivered his letters to Lioness.
She brought these to her brother and Gareth, and asked what she should do.
"My lady and love," said Gareth, "if you go to Arthur"s court I beg that you will not let them know where I am. But give this advice to the king, that he call a great tournament, to be held at your castle at the feast of the a.s.sumption, and announce that whatever knight proves himself best shall wed you and win your lands. Be sure that I will be there to do my best in your service."