Lord so soon,
sweet Lady?" the kind King questioned. She tried to answer him, but
her sense of guilt was so great that she could not. The fearful things
that were about to happen and that had happened had been caused by her
woman's curiosity, and now that it was too late, she was filled with
remorse. Some one cried:

"Make way! make way! the Guardian of Brabant is coming." All looked
and saw the shining knight, Lohengrin. They hailed him joyfully.

"I come not to lead ye to glory," he answered sadly, and uncovered the
corpse of Frederick of Telramund. All shrank back. "Neither shall ye
condemn me. I killed him, but he came to seek my life. Your judgment,
O King!" he asked of Henry.

The King stretched his hand across the body of Telramund to clasp
Lohengrin's.

"The saints would not shield him: he deserved thy thrust," Henry
answered.

"Once more!--The Lady Elsa has betrayed her promise. I am undone. Ye
all heard her give her word that she would never ask my name nor
country; but her impatient heart hath broken that pledge, and her
injurious doubts now compel me to tell ye all." Everybody groaned and
cried out sorrowfully. They had entire faith in the brave knight, and
loved the Lady Elsa. All regretted that her curiosity had ruined a
fair future, deprived them of their defender, and made her own life
forever miserable.

"Now, mark well what I say," the knight cried, and while he spoke, his
face became illuminated with a kind of splendid goodness and faith in
his own integrity.

In distant land, by ways remote and hidden,
There stands a burg that men call Monsalvat;
It holds a shrine to the profane forbidden,
More precious, there is naught on earth than that.
And throned in light, it holds a cup immortal,
That whoso sees, from earthly sin is cleansed;
'Twas borne by angels through the heavenly portal,
Its coming hath a holy reign commenced.

Once every year a dove from heaven descendeth,
To strengthen it anew for works of grace;
'Tis called the Grail; the power of Heaven attendeth
The faithful knights who guard that sacred place.
He whom the Grail to be its servant chooses,
Is armed henceforth with high invincible might;
All evil craft its power before him loses,
The spirits of darkness, where he dwells, take flight.

Nor will he lose the awful charm it lendeth,
Although he should be called to dist