again, and he struck him the third time, all in the space whilst one might
count two. And those blows he struck were so direful that Sir Phelot fell
down upon his knees, all stunned and bedazed, and the strength went out of
his thews because of faintness. Then Sir Launcelot took the sword out of
the hand of Sir Phelot and Sir Phelot did not have strength to deny him.
And Sir Launcelot plucked off Sir Phelot's helm and catched him by the hair
and dragged his neck forward so as to have ease to strike his head from off
his body.

Now all this while the lady had been weeping and watching what befell. But
when she saw the great danger Sir Phelot was in, she ran and clasped her
arms about him, and cried out in a very loud and piercing voice upon Sir
Launcelot to spare Sir Phelot and to slay him not. But Sir Launcelot, still
holding him by the hair of the head, said: "Lady, I cannot spare him, for
he has treated me more treacherously than any other knight with whom I ever
had dealings." But the lady cried out all the more vehemently, "Sir
Launcelot, thou good knight, I beseech thee, of thy knighthood, to spare
him."

[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot spares Sir Phelot's life] "Well," said Sir
Launcelot, "it hath yet to be said of me that I have denied anything that I
was able to grant unto any lady that hath asked it of me upon my
knighthood. And yet I know not how to trust either of ye. For thou didst
not say one word in my behalf when I was in danger of being slain so
treacherously just now. As for this knight, I perceive that he is every
whit as great a traitor and a coward as was his brother Sir Peris of the
Sauvage Forest. So I will spare him, but I will not trust him, lest he turn
against me ere I arm myself again. Wherefore give me hither the halter rein
of your mule." So the lady gave Sir Launcelot the halter rein, weeping
amain as she did so. And Sir Launcelot took the halter rein and he tied the