it was Sir Lancelot. ‘Fair Sir,’ said Sir Lancelot, ‘I pray you lend me, if you can, a shield with a device which no man knows, for mine they know well.’
‘Sir,’ answered Sir Bernard, ‘you shall have your wish, for you seem one of the goodliest Knights in the world. And, Sir, I have two sons, both but lately knighted, Sir Tirre who was wounded on the day of his knighthood, and his shield you shall have. My youngest son. Sir Lavaine, shall ride with you, if you will have his company, to the jousts. For my heart is much drawn to you, and tell me, I beseech you, what name I shall call you by.’
‘You must hold me excused as to that, just now,’ said Sir Lancelot, ‘but if I speed well at the jousts, I will come again and tell you. But let me have Sir Lavaine with me, and lend me, as you have offered, his brother’s shield.’ ‘This shall be done,’ replied Sir Bernard.
Besides these two sons. Sir Bernard had a daughter whom everyone called The Fair Maid of Astolat, though her real name was Elaine le Blanc. And when she looked on Sir Lancelot, her love went forth to him and she could never take it back, and in the end it killed her. As soon as her father told her that Sir Lancelot was going to the tourney she besought him to wear her token in the jousts, but he was not willing. ‘Fair damsel,’ he said, ‘if I did that, I should have done more for your love than ever I did for lady or damsel.’ But then he remembered that he was to go disguised to the tourney, and because he had before never worn any manner of token of any damsel, he bethought him that, if he should take one of hers, none would know him. So he said to her, ‘Fair damsel, I will wear your token on my helmet, if you will show me what it is.’
‘Sir,’ she answered, ‘it is a red sleeve, embroidered in great pearls,’ and she brought it to him. ‘Never have I done so much for any damsel,’ said he, and gave his own shield into her keeping, till he came again. Sir Arthur had waited three days in Astolat for some Knights
