alace of King Arthur, men sat or stood
with anxious looks, glancing in silence at the king, as he walked up
and down apart, with a stern look on his face.

Then Sir Mador strode forward and said:

'Lord, I do require you to perform your promise to me, to wit, that the
queen be brought to the stake, unless one be found to do combat on her
behalf.'

'What I have promised I will fulfil,' said the king; and men sorrowed
to see how heavy of anguish were his looks, and full of sorrow his
words.

'Lord king,' said Sir Mordred, 'we have shamefully suffered much wrong
at the hands of Sir Lancelot. I appeal to thee that he be seized, so
that the kin of those whom he slew this last night may have vengeance
upon him.'

Then came Sir Gawaine forward quickly, and his face was dark with anger
and his words hot.

'Lord,' he cried, 'listen not to such tales, for I doubt not it was
only by evil plots that Sir Lancelot was forced to slay those whom he
slew. For I trust not Sir Mordred.'

'So God us help,' said Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris, 'we too will not be
known to be of the same mind as our brother Sir Mordred.'

'Then will I do as I deem it best, to gain what I deem right,' replied
Sir Mordred.

'I believe that thou wilt do it in thine own hidden ways,' said Sir
Gawaine, and looked fiercely at his brother, 'for in all unhappiness
and evil thou art to be found, if men but seek in the darkest place and
look for the most secret foe.'

'I appeal to you, lord,' said Sir Mordred to the king, 'to proclaim Sir
Lancelot a false traitor to you and to your realm.'

'And I,' said Sir Gawaine, 'will bid ye remember, lord king, that if ye
will make war between us and Sir Lancelot, there will be many kings and
great lords hold with him. And I would ask you, how many times hath Sir
Lancelot done noble deeds on our behalf and proved himself the best
knight of us all? Did he not rescue twenty of us from the dungeons of
Sir Turquine? Hath he not avenged shame upon the king and the queen,
and the fame of the Round Table many a time? Methinketh, my uncle, that
such kind deeds should be well remembered.'

'Think ye,' said the king, 'that I am not loath to begin so evil and
terrible a thing as civil war? Man, it rendeth my heart to think it.
And I tell thee, Sir Mordred, I will not begin it, except I have proofs
of what ye charge upon Sir Lancelot. And as he is the best knight of ye
all, and the most valiant, I will not judge him before I hea