“Sir,” said the king, “a shield also God shall send you.”
“Now,” said Sir Galahad, “I have the sword that once belonged to the good knight, Sir Balin le Savage; with this sword he slew his brother Balan, and that was a great pity, for neither knew that he fought his brother until wounded to death.”
With that they saw a lady on a white horse riding along the river bank toward them. She saluted the king and queen and asked for Sir Launcelot.
“I am here, fair lady,” said Sir Launcelot.
Then she said, weeping, “Your great doings are changed since this morning.”
“Damsel, why do you say so?” demanded Sir Launcelot.
“I say truth,” said she, “for you were to-day the best knight in the world, but whoever said so now would be proved a liar. There is one better than you, for you dared not grasp the sword! Therefore, I ask you to remember that you are no longer the best knight in the world.”
“As to that,” said he, “I know well I was never the best.”
“Yes,” said the damsel, “you were, and are yet of any sinful man of the world: and, Sir,” she said to the king, “Nacien, the hermit, sends word of the greatest honor that ever befell king in Britain, for to-day the Holy Grail shall appear to thee and all thy comrades of the Round Table.”
Having thus spoken, the damsel took her leave and departed the same way that she came.