"Then I must seek further," said the damsel, "for that I am forbidden to tell."
At this moment Beaumains came to the king, and said,--
"Royal sir, I have been twelve months in your kitchen, and have had all you promised me; now I desire to ask for my other two gifts."
"Ask, if you will. I shall keep to my word."
"This, then, is what I request. First, that you send me with the damsel, for this adventure belongs to me."
"My third request is that you shall bid Lancelot du Lake make me a knight, for he is the only man in your court from whom I will take that honor. When I am gone let him ride after me, and dub me knight when I require it of him."
"I grant your wish," said the king. "All shall be done as you desire."
"Fie on you all!" cried the damsel. "I came here for a knight, and you offer me a kitchen scullion. Is this King Arthur's way of rescuing a lady in distress? If so, I want none of it, and will seek my knight elsewhere."
She left the court, red with anger, mounted her horse, and rode away.
She had hardly gone when a page of the court came to Beaumains and told him that his dwarf was without, with a noble horse and a rich suit of armor, and all other necessaries of the best.
At this all the court marvelled, for they could not imagine who had sent all this rich gear to a kitchen menial. But when Beaumains was armed, there were none in the court who presented a more manly aspect than he. He took courteous leave of the king, and of Gawaine and Lancelot, praying the latter that he would soon ride after him. This done, he mounted his horse and pursued the damsel.
But those who observed him noticed that, while he was well horsed and had trappings of cloth of gold, he bore neither shield nor spear. Among those who watched him was Kay, who said,--
"Yonder goes my kitchen drudge, as fine a knight as the best of us, if a brave show were all that a knight needed. I have a mind to ride after him, to let him know that I am still his superior."
"You had better let him alone," said Gawaine. "You may find more than you bargain for."
But Kay armed himself and rode after Beaumains, whom he overtook just as he came up with the damsel.
"Hold there, Beaumains," he cried, in mockery. "Do you not know me?"