dreadful death.

'For by my confession unto Heaven,' she cried, 'I know naught of this
wicked deed how it was brought about. And will ye not take this combat
upon ye for my sake? For I am sure if your kinsman, Sir Lancelot, was
here, he would not suffer this evil suspicion to lie against me. For he
hath ever been my most faithful knight, but now am I without friend in
this great pass.'

'Madam,' replied Sir Bors, 'what can I do? For if I take this charge
upon me for your sake, men will say I was your aider in this crime that
they charge upon you. And I see not how I may fight for you except by
endangering my own life without saving yours. But I tell ye, madam,
what I will do. I will hasten with all speed to the north, trusting in
God to get news of Sir Lancelot, so that I may tell him and bring him
here within the time appointed.'

'Ah, good Sir Bors,' cried the queen, and clasped his hands. 'Do ye do
that, for I know that Sir Lancelot will never believe me guilty of so
great a crime. And I will pray hourly that ye find him and bring him to
me in time, so that my poor body be not unjustly given to the dreadful
flames.'

Forthwith Sir Bors armed himself, and with two squires set forth
instantly; and sent his men in different ways, so that among the three
they should not fail to hear where, in the northern marches, a knight
so famous as Sir Lancelot might be found.

No rest did the good Sir Bors give to himself, but swiftly did he ride
hither and thither questioning all knights whom he met, and inquiring
of every hermitage and abbey and at every harbourage. Finally, when
eleven days had passed of the fifteen, he found Sir Lancelot lying
wounded at a broken abbey, from which, in a fierce fight, he had but
two days before thrust out a band of pagans, who would have murdered
the nuns and robbed the church of its holy relics.

Full wroth was Sir Lancelot when, having lovingly greeted each other,
Sir Bors told him all that had passed with the queen.

'The foul traitors!' he cried, and, getting fiercely from the pallet on
which he lay, he strode up and down the chamber clenching his hands and
gnashing his teeth. 'Do any dare to suspect her--do any think in cold
blood to see that peerless lady bound to the stake, the flames
devouring her noble person? That men should think such things, and move
not a hand in noble wrath, shows how evil are the days in which we
live!'

Then he rushed from the room, wounded as he was; a