Now as the Queen and her ladies and their attendants wended onward in a sedate and quiet fashion, they were presently aware of one who came riding after them at a hand gallop. Then the Queen drew rein, and said to her attendant ladies, “Who is yonder gentleman who follows us at a hand gallop?” One of her attendants said, “Methinks, Lady, yonder is Sir Geraint.” The Queen said, “Yea, it is indeed Sir Geraint,” so they all drew rein and waited until Sir Geraint overtook them. Then the Queen said to him, “Sir Geraint, I am glad that thou too art a sluggard, for now, as a penance, we shall hold thee in attendance upon us.” “Lady,” quoth Sir Geraint, “that is no penance but a pleasure, for what pleasure could be greater than to wait upon you and your court upon so fair and sweet a morning as this?” “Sir,” said the Queen, “that is very well said. Now I bid you to ride beside me, and so together we will seek the King.” So Sir Geraint rode with the Lady Guinevere in that wise, and as they rode they discoursed together concerning many things of interest. Now as they ambled thus through the forest they presently perceived a small company of riders who came the other way through the checkered lights of the woodland. The first of these riders was a very strong, powerful and lordly knight in armor. Beside him rode a fair lady clad all in scarlet, and following after these two there came a deformed and crooked dwarf clad in green. And the dwarf sat perched upon a great tall horse like a toad upon a mountain. Then the Lady Guinevere said, “What company is yonder?” But no one could answer her question. Then the Queen said to one of her damsels, “Go, maiden, and ask the dwarf who is the knight whom he follows.” [Sidenote: _The maiden bespeaks the dwarf._] So the maiden to whom the Queen spake made forward to meet that party, and she accosted the dwarf, saying, “Sirrah, I pray you tell me, who is the lordly knight whom you follow?” The dwarf said, “I will not tell you, for it is not needful that you should know.” The maiden said, “Then, since you are so ungentle to me, I will e’en go and ask the knight his own name. For I do not think he will be so discourteous as not to tell me his name and his degree.” The dwarf said, “I forbid you to do that, and I will not permit you to ride forward, for my lord is of such quality that the likes of you are not fit to speak with him.” And when he saw that the Queen’s maiden was of a mind to follow the knight, he catched the horse by the bridle rein and forced it backward so that the maiden was in danger of falling.