every one knew the place where he was to sit at meat, and every one
strove all he could to gain the honour of sitting to eat at the table
of Don Alvar Fanez and his companions, by strenuously behaving himself
in all feats of arms; and thus the honour of the Cid was advanced. This
Martin Pelaez, thinking that none had seen his badness, washed his
hands in turn with the other knights, and would have taken his place
among them. And the Cid went unto him, and took him by the hand and
said, You are not such a one as deserves to sit with these, for they
are worth more than you or than me; but I will have you with me: and he
seated him with himself at table. And he, for lack of understanding,
thought that the Cid did this to honour him above all the others. On
the morrow the Cid and his company rode towards Valencia, and the Moors
came out to the tourney; and Martin Pelaez went out well armed, and was
among the foremost who charged the Moors, and when he was in among them
he turned the reins, and went back to his lodging; and the Cid took
heed to all that he did, and saw that though he had done badly he had
done better than the first day. And when the Cid had driven the Moors
into the town he returned to his lodging, and as he sate down to meat
he took this Martin Pelaez by the hand, and seated him with himself,
and bade him eat with him in the same dish, for he had deserved more
that day than he had the first. And the knight gave heed to that
saying, and was abashed; howbeit he did as the Cid commanded him: and
after he had dined he went to his lodging and began to think upon what
the Cid had said unto him, and perceived that he had seen all the
baseness which he had done; and then he understood that for this cause
he would not let him sit at board with the other knights who were
precious in arms, but had seated him with himself, more to affront him
than to do him honour, for there were other knights there better than
he, and he did not show them that honour. Then resolved he in his heart
to do better than he had done heretofore. Another day the Cid and his