Gawain put his arm around his friend:
'You have a lovely wife,' he said, 'really beautiful, wise and good. If I had such a wife I too would never want to leave her side. Still, it's always a pity when a knight lets himself grow lazy and useless just because he's happy and in love. Knights can easily lose the habit of fighting - they can no longer be bothered to prove their bravery and skill. Yet a wise lady soon grows tired of a knight who is not worthy of her any more. You should come jousting with me and we'll be real knights together and have some fine times at the tournaments just as we used to do.'
Gawain patted his friend on the shoulder.
'Come on, we have always been best friends, haven't we?' You don't want to lose
our friendship now, do you? Come back with me to King Arthur's court, just for
a little while, and we'll show everyone what we can do. Otherwise people will
say you're jealous and daren't leave your wife's side.'
He went on so long talking like this that in the end Yvain began to feel ashamed of his easy life with his lovely wife. He agreed to go with Gawain - but only if Laudine would give her consent.
