m as he doth desire.'

On the day appointed, as the king sat in hall at Carlisle, surrounded
by his knights and their ladies, with Sir Gawaine standing on the high
seat beside him, there came the beat of many hoofs, and into the town
rode Sir Lancelot with the queen, knights and squires accompanying
them. They reined up at the wide door of the hall, and Sir Lancelot
alighted, and having helped the queen to dismount, he took her hand,
and led her through the ranks of knights and ladies to where sat King
Arthur.

Sir Lancelot kneeled upon the edge of the dais, and the queen with him;
and to see so noble a knight and so beautiful a lady, sad of
countenance as they were, forced many a tear to the eyes of the knights
and dames who looked on. Then, rising, and taking up the queen, Sir
Lancelot spoke:

'My most redoubted lord,' he said, 'you shall understand that by the
pope's commandment and yours I have brought unto you my lady your
queen, as right requireth; and if there be any knight here, of any
degree, who shall say that she or I have ever thought to plot treason
against your person or your crown, or the peace of this realm, then do
I say here and now that I, Lancelot du Lake, will make it good upon his
body, that he lies. And, my gracious lord, if this is all that there is
between you, my king, and myself, there need be naught of ill thought
between us, but only peace and goodwill. But I wist well that one that
hates me will not suffer ye to do what is in your good and kingly
heart.'

Sternly did Sir Lancelot look at Sir Gawaine, while the tears gushed
from King Arthur's eyes, and from the eyes of many that heard Sir
Lancelot's sad words.

Fierce and dark was the look which Sir Gawaine returned to Sir
Lancelot.

'The king may do as he will,' he said harshly and in a loud voice, 'but
wit thou well, Sir Lancelot, thou and I shall never be at peace till
one of us be slain; for thou didst slay my twain brothers, though they
bore no harness against thee nor any ill will. Yet traitorously thou
didst slay them!'

'Alas, my lord,' said Sir Lancelot, and the tears bedewed his face, 'I
cannot ask you for your forgiveness for that deed, unwitting though it
was done and in my madness. Would to Heaven they had worn harness! Wit
you well that ever will I bewail the death of my dear friend, Sir
Gareth. 'Twas I that made him knight, and ever did I delight to see
him, to hear his manly laugh ring out, and to see the light in h