Round Table, set forth to conduct Sir Gawayne to fetch home his bride. Sir Kaye, the steward, rode first of all; but when he beheld the loathly lady sitting between the oak and holly bush, he turned his horse, and said to the King, "Sir, of all this company, I know not who can be given to this fearsome damsel, save little Sir Thomas Thumb."

"I would offer myself willingly, were it for my liege's honour," said Sir Thomas, boldly.

"Well said, little brother-in-arms !" said Sir Gawayne. "But I fear me she would make but one mouthful of thee! However, we will both abide her choice, for if I be the biggest, thou art the fairest."

While the two knights were speaking, their company had grown less. Some loosed their hawks, and some their hounds, till, except these two, not one was left who had not his wedded dame at home; and thus the King and the rest came to the loathly lady, crouching on the moor. Sir Thomas trembled, but the damsel never even seemed to see him; and Sir Gawayne, who so dearly esteemed his uncle's honour, and his own, went valiantly up to the lady, took her brown hand, called her his bride, and lifted her, all crooked as she was, on the crupper of his steed. So he rode before her into Caerleon, wedded her with a ring, and took her to his own house; but all the time, the gentle knight shuddered at the very touch of her hand, and when he had brought her home, he hid his face in his hands, ere he could resolve to look up and bid her welcome.

At last he gathered courage, but as he raised his eyes, he saw a fair and lovely damsel standing before him, smiling sweetly. "Where is she?" he cried out in amaze.

can never be my bride!"

"This

"I am thy bride, my own dear Lord," said a voice like a

silver bell,
"the same who was
between the oak and holly tree.
holly tree.
that I am subject to a spell, and

wont to sit grim and lonely Know, gentle Sir Gawayne, make thy choice, whether I

shall be fair at home, and foul when I go abroad, or foul at home, and fair abroad."

"Fair at home, my sweetest love, fair when I am with thee," said Sir Gawayne.

"Be it so," said the lady; "but, alas! when other dames go forth with their lords, I must hide myself!"

My cruel

He became

"Nay," quoth the gentle knight, "that shall not be ! To me thou wilt ever be goodly, be thy outward semblance what it may. Be fair then to other eyes, since inwardly thou art so to mine." "Happy the day I first saw thee, sweet Gawayne,” said the lady, " for now shall I ever be as thou seest me! stepmother laid my brother and me under a spell. the giant of Terne Wadling, living by foul cruelty; I was made loathly to view, and bound to live a dreary life on moor and moss, till such time as I should find a Knight who truly should love others better than himself. I deemed my hope vain, but thou hast broken the spell; I am a happy dame, and my brother a true and gallant Knight once more."

I

CHAPTER XI.

HOW SIR THOMAS THUMB GUARDED KING ARTHUR'S

SIGNET-RING.

T would have been well if all King Arthur's nephews had been such as the gentle Sir Gawayne; but the son of his sister Anna, Sir Mordred by name, was of far different conditions, and secretly coveted the throne of his uncle.“*

One night, as Sir Thomas Thumb was lying asleep in the palm of the King's gauntlet, he was awakened by the sound of the creaking of a door, and starting up, he caught hold of his spear, which he always kept in readiness to chase away any gnat that might disturb his liege's rest. Presently, he beheld by the moonlight Sir Mordred come forward, and feel gently about, as though searching for something.

Instantly the little knight's sharp wits were on the alert, and he recollected yestermorn to have heard Sir Mordred murmuring because the King would not promise to bequeath to him all his lands. Now Sir Thomas bethought him, that perchance Sir

Mordred might be come with intent to steal the King's signetring, and thus to cause all men to believe that he had been chosen for his heir. So what did the little knight, but as he found the ring lying close to the gauntlet, he drew his own head and arms through it, so that it fitted him round the waist like a girdle, and the great table-diamond, engraven with thirteen crowns, made a breastplate in front of his faithful little heart. 45

By and by came Sir Mordred's finger feeling softly for the ring; but Sir Thomas, from his ambush in the gauntlet, thrust forth his lance tipped with the sting of a hornet, and so deeply pierced the treacherous finger, that Sir Mordred could hardly hinder himself from crying out with the pain, so as to awaken King Arthur and all the royal household, and he stole away as softly as he had come.

When morning rose, and King Arthur awoke, Tom Thumb sat on his pillow and told all that had happened in the night, assuring him that if he needed a token, he had only to desire to see the hand of Sir Mordred. And truly, when Sir Mordred sat in his place at the banquet, the forefinger of his right hand was so grievously swollen that he could scarcely use it.

But good King Arthur loved his nephew still, and would not openly accuse him nor bring him to shame, by banishing him from the Court. However, he gave due praise to the trusty little Sir Thomas, and told him that in consideration of his manful service, he committed to him for ever the keeping of his signet when he slept.

Wakefully and truly did the chosen champion fulfil his charge. Whenever the King lay down to sleep and drew off his ring, Sir Thomas made it his girdle, and sat fully armed and watching heedfully on every side, so that none should take him at unawares.

By and by, the traitor again came, and he now beheld who it was who kept watch over the King's seal. commanding Sir Thomas to give it up to him

He began by

that he might

set it to a parchment; but Sir Thomas said he was as good a knight as the other, and took no commands save from the King his liege lord.

"A pretty knight," muttered Sir Mordred; "a plaything for a court pageant."

Sir Thomas shook his lance, as if to answer that Sir Mordred knew the powers thereof; and the traitor began to speak him fair, and own that his valour and faith did indeed make up for want of size and strength. Sir Mordred had that opinion of Sir Thomas Thumb's wisdom and promptitude, that when he should become King of Britain, he should certainly bestow on him the government of all Strath Clwyd, rather than give it to yonder great lubber knights, who seemed to think that manhood was only in the thewes and sinews.

"The cowardly traitor!" thought Sir Thomas; "does he think to talk me over in this manner?--I, a knight of tried faith!-I, who would not be disloyal if every one of these thirteen crowns were laid at my feet !-I know better !”