in the north, Sir Lancelot,' said the young
knight, with a laugh, 'and surely it will pleasure our lady queen to
see you.'

He unlocked the door of the queen's antechamber, and told her
waiting-woman that Sir Lancelot would see the queen, and in a few
moments Sir Lancelot was let in. The sorrowing queen told him all that
had happened, and how, and he was wroth to think that any one should
suspect her of so great a crime. He promised that on the day appointed
he would fight for her with all his strength, as a true knight should,
and God would defend the right.

Suddenly, as they spoke together, there came loud voices crying outside
the chamber door:

'Traitor knight, Sir Lancelot du Lake, now art thou taken in thy
treachery!'

Sir Lancelot knew that the voices were those of Sir Agravaine, who had
ever been envious of him, and of Sir Mordred, whom no one loved. He
went quickly to the door and barred it with the beam, and bade the
terrified queen not to be alarmed. He asked her whether there was any
armour in the room, which he could put on to defend himself.

'I have none,' she said, weeping sorely, 'wherefore I dread me sore
that evil will come to you, my true and valiant knight, for I hear by
their noise there be many strong knights, wherefore ye are like to be
slain soon, and then shall I surely burn.'

'Alas!' said Sir Lancelot, 'in all my life was I never in such a pass,
to be slain for lack of my armour.'

'Traitor knight,' cried those that were hammering at the door with the
handles of their swords, 'come out at once and skulk there no more, for
know ye well thou art so beset that thou shalt not escape.'

Sir Lancelot went to the queen and, kneeling to her, took her hand and
kissed it, saying:

'Madam, I beseech you to pray for my soul if I be slain. I have been
your true knight with all my power up to this time, and now I will not
fail you if I may; but if I be slain, I am assured that my kinsman Sir
Bors and all the others of my kin will not suffer you to go to the
fire.'

Then Sir Lancelot, leaving the weeping queen, wrapped his mantle round
his left arm as if it were a shield, and prepared to sell his life
dearly. By this time the knights outside had got a bench from the hall,
and using it as a battering-ram, were dashing it against the door to
beat it in.

'Leave your noise, fair lords,' rang out the voice of Lancelot, 'and I
will open the door to ye, and then ye may do to me what ye will.'

'