Thereupon the Queen shrieked with terror, and one of her maidens ran to her
aid and others came with napkins and wiped her face and her apparel and
gave her words of cheer.
Then Sir Kay found courage to say: "Ha! thou art a churlish knight to so
affront a lady."
With that Sir Boindegardus turned very fiercely upon him and said: "And
thou likest not my behavior, thou mayst follow me hence into a meadow a
little distance from this to the eastward where thou mayst avenge that
affront upon my person if thou art minded to do so."
Then Sir Kay knew not what to reply for he wist that Sir Boindegardus was a
very strong and terrible knight. Wherefore he said, "Thou seest that I am
altogether without arms or armor." Upon that Sir Boindegardus laughed in
great scorn, and therewith seized the golden goblet from the hands of the
page and went out from the pavilion, and mounting his horse rode away
bearing that precious chalice with him.
[Sidenote: Percival berates Sir Kay] Then the Queen fell aweeping very
sorely from fright and shame, and when young Percival beheld her tears, he
could not abide the sight thereof.
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