'Then the king and his men I prayed them, by what service I e'er had done, 405 They should loose me from stain of dishonour which I by his death had won, And the knight should live, as I sware him.--Then the lady, his gracious queen, I prayed by the bond of kinship, since my friend she hath ever been, (From my childhood, King Arthur reared me and my love doth toward them flow,) That she of her kindness help me--as I asked, it was even so, 410 For she drew on one side the maiden, and she spake to her soft and kind, And it was thro' the queen, I wot me, that the knight did his pardon find. Thus free from his guilt they spake him, yet his sin must he sorely rue, For the life that was granted to him stern penance he needs must do. With the hounds of the chase and the house-dogs from one trough he needs must eat 415 For the space of four weeks, thus the maiden found avenging as it was meet!' 'For this cause is he wroth with me, Lady'--'Yet his judgment it went astray, If my love ne'er shall be thy guerdon, in such wise I'll his deed repay That ere he shall leave my kingdom he shall count it to him for shame! Since King Arthur avenged not the evil that was wrought on that maid's fair fame 420 It falleth unto mine office, and judge am I o'er ye twain, Tho' who ye may be I know not, yet I to this task am fain! And well shall he be chastisèd for the wrong that he did the maid, Not for _thine_, for I ween such evil is better by blows repaid.' To the mare now Sir Gawain turned him, and lightly he caught the rein, 425 And the squire he followed after, and the lady she spake again, And in Arabic spake she to him, and she gave him to know her will-- Now hearken unto my story, how Sir Gawain he fared but ill: Then Malcréature, he left them--and Gawain his horse beheld, Too feeble it was for battle, the squire, as his way he held 430 Down the hill, from the peasant-owner had taken the sorry steed, And Gawain for his charger must have it, tho' but ill it might serve his need.