[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot advises Croisette what to do] Then Sir Launcelot
sat for a while and regarded that castle, and fell into thought; and he
said, "Damsel, if so be this knight is such a coward as thou sayest,
meseems that if I travel with thee I shall have some ado to come upon him;
because, if he sees me with thee, he may keep himself hidden in the thicket
of the forest from my sight. Now I will have it this way; do thou ride
along the highway in plain sight of the castle, and I will keep within the
woodland skirts, where I may have thee in sight and still be hidden from
the sight of others. Then if this knight assail thee, as I think it likely
he may do, I will come out and do battle with him ere he escapes."

So it was arranged as Sir Launcelot said and they rode in that wise:
Croisette rode along the highway, and Sir Launcelot rode under the trees in
the outskirts of the forest, where he was hidden from the eyes of anyone
who might be looking that way. So they went on for a long pass until they
came pretty nigh to where the castle was.

[Sidenote: Sir Peris attacks Croisette] Then, as they came to a certain
part of the road that dipped down toward a small valley, they were suddenly
aware of a great noise, and immediately there issued out from the forest a
knight, large and strong of frame, and followed close behind by a squire
dressed altogether in scarlet from head to foot. This knight bore down with
great speed upon where Croisette was, and the esquire followed close behind
him. When these two had come near to Croisette, the esquire leaped from off
his horse and caught her palfrey by the bridle, and the knight came close
to her and catched her as though to drag her off from her horse.

With that Croisette shrieked very loud, and immediately Sir Launcelot broke
out from the woods and rode down upon where all this was toward with a