Untitled

148 MOONFOLK.
charger, whinnied a joyous greeting and stopped
short,
while the knight, leaping to the ground, exclaimed :
" The Lady Isolde, and without her brave lord, Sir
Ralph of Escourt ! What chance is this, fair lady "
?
" Sir Galahad, right glad am I to see you, and you
too, fair Sir Percivale, for full well do I know that with
you I am safe, and that the noble lord of whom you
were his
speak shall not die unavenged, for you
friends."
The tears she could not restrain choked her voice,
and covering her face with her hands she sobbed piteously.
Sir Galahad and Sir Percivale sadly bowed their
heads, and Sir Percivale softly said :
" And is it so, lady
? Is our dear friend and brotherin-arms
Sir Ralph gone from among us ?
But comfort
you, dear lady, for well do I know that he died bravely
and in the path of honor, as a good knight should, and
to what other end do "
any of us look ?
"
And trust us, fair Isolde, if he hath been foully
dealt with, he shall not die unavenged," added Sir Galahad.
"
Who was his enemy "
?
" Sir Guy du Fontaine. They quarrelled about a
page who ran away from Sir Guy's cruel usage, and
took refuge with us. Sir Ralph sheltered him, and
refused to give him up at Sir Guy's command ;
so Sir
Guy laid in wait for us, as we rode toward Camelot,
and he slew my dear lord if it had not been for :
good Sir
"
Lancelot, he had slain me also !