s mind. How came Lancelot to slay these knights, who both loved him
devotedly?"

"He would never have harmed them had he known them," said a knight. "It
was in the midst of the hurtling and fierce struggling, when swords
strike they know not where. Sad he will be when he learns what he has
done."

"I am heavier for the loss of my knights than of my queen," said
Arthur, sadly. "Other queens may be had, but such a fellowship of
knights can never be brought together again. And this I know, that when
Gawaine learns of Gareth's death, he will never rest, nor suffer me to
rest, till I have destroyed Lancelot and his kindred, or they have
destroyed me. Ah, Agravaine, Agravaine, Jesus forgive thy soul for thy
evil will, for thou and thy brother Mordred have caused all this bitter
sorrow."

While the king thus complained, a tale-bearer, unheeding his
injunctions, came to Gawaine big with his story, and told him of the
rescue of the queen, and the death of a knightly host.

"What else could Lancelot do?" said Gawaine. "I should have done as much
myself had I stood in his place. But where are my brothers? Why hear I
not of them?"

"Truly," said the man; "they are both killed."

"Now, Jesus forbid! What! both? Is Gareth slain? Dare you tell me so?"

"Alas! the pity of it!"

"Killed! Who killed him?"

"Sir Lancelot slew them both."

"That is false. Gareth loved him better than he did me or the king. He
would have joined him against us all, had Lancelot desired. And he was
unarmed. Dare you repeat this story?" and he caught the man fiercely by
the shoulders and glared wildly in his face.

"Sir, it is so noised abroad," said the man.

"Then is all joy gone from my life," moaned Gawaine, and he fell to the
floor in a deep swoon, in which he lay long like one dead.

But when Gawaine recovered, and had sought the king, and learned that
his two brothers had been killed, unarmed and defenceless, his sorrow
changed to bitter and revengeful anger.

"My king, my lord, and my uncle," he sternly said, "I vow by my
knighthood that I shall never forgive Lancelot for this murderous deed,
but from this day forth shall remain his deadly foe, till one of us has
slain the other. War to the death it shall be, and if you aid me not I
shall seek Sir Lancelot alone, if it be through seven kings' realms,
till I hold him to answer for this deed of blood."

"You shall not need to seek him so far," said the king. "They say that
Lancelot aw