Page:The Garden of Romance - 1897.djvu/82

70 face with the back of his hand, and said, "Knight, why beholdest thou me so? for shame; therefore eat thy meat, and do that thou came for." "Thou sayest sooth," said Balin; "this is not the first despite that thou hast done me; and, therefore, I will do that I came for;" and rose up so fiercely, and cleaved his head to the shoulders. "Give me the truncheon," said Balin to his lady, "wherewith he slew your knight." Anon she gave it him, for always she bare that truncheon with her. And therewith Balin smote him through the body, and said openly, "With that truncheon thou hast slain a good knight, and now it sticketh in thy body." And then Balin called to him his host, saying, "Now may ye fetch blood enough for to heal your son withal."

Anon all the knights rose up from the table for to set on Balin; and King Pellam himself arose up fiercely, and said, "Knight, why hast thou slain my brother? thou shalt die, therefore, ere thou depart." "Well," said Balin, "then do it yourself." "Yes," said King Pellam, "there shall no man have to do with thee but myself, for the love of my brother." Then King Pellam caught in his hand a grim weapon, and smote eagerly at Balin; but Balin put the sword between his head and the stroke, and therewith his sword burst in sunder. And when Balin was weaponless, he came into a chamber for to seek some weapon, and so from chamber to chamber, and no weapon could he find; and always King Pellam followed him, and at the last he entered into a chamber that was marvellously well dight and richly, and a bed arrayed with cloth of gold, the richest that might be thought, and one lying therein, and thereby stood a table of clean gold, with four pillars of silver that bare up the table, and upon