" "Ah," he says,
"thou wouldst do wrong to heed my enemy and kill me thus." While
she, intent upon his death, admonishes him to cut off his head,
and not to believe a word he says. He strikes: the head flies
across the sward and the body fails. Then the damsel is pleased
and satisfied. Grasping the head by the hair, the knight
presents it to the damsel, who takes it joyfully with the words:
"May thy heart receive such delight from whatever it most desires
as my heart now receives from what I most coveted. I had only
one grief in life, and that was that this man was still alive. I
have a reward laid up for thee which thou shalt receive at the
proper time. I promise thee that thou shalt have a worthy reward
for the service thou hast rendered me. Now I will go away, with
the prayer that God may guard thee from harm." Then the damsel
leaves him, as each commends the other to God. But all those who
had seen the battle in the plain are overjoyed, and in their joy
they at once relieve the knight of his armour, and honour him in
every way they can. Then they wash their hands again and take
their places at the meal, which they eat with better cheer than
is their wont. When they had been eating for some time, the
gentleman turned to his guest at his side, and said: "Sire, a
long while ago we came hither from the kingdom of Logres.
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