Hector saw his brother Lionel among these his heart was ready to
break with sorrow.

"What has happened to Lancelot?" he demanded. "You rode with him, and
here you are a prisoner. Alas! tell me not that any harm has come to
him."

"Where he is and what he does I cannot tell," said Lionel. "I left him
asleep under an apple-tree and rode alone on this dolorous venture.
Would that I had wakened him first."

"Alas!" cried the knights, "we may never be delivered unless Lancelot
comes to our aid. Of all knights living we know none but him who is a
fair match for Turquine, our robber lord."

CHAPTER II.

THE CONTEST OF THE FOUR QUEENS.

Noon had passed by, but the day was still warm, and Lancelot lay yet in
deep slumber, dreaming nothing of what had happened while he slept. But
now there rode by the apple-tree under which he lay a royal and
brilliant cavalcade. For in it were four queens of high estate, who were
mounted on white mules, and attired in regal robes, while beside them
rode four knights who bore on their spear-points a cloth of green silk,
so held as to shield the queens from the heat of the sun.

As they rode by Lancelot's place of slumber they were startled by the
loud neigh of a war-horse, and looking about them they became aware of
the sleeping knight beneath the apple-tree. They drew near and looked
upon his face, and at once knew him for Lancelot du Lake. Then they
began pleasantly to strive as to which of them should have the sleeping
knight for her lover.

"Let me settle this debate," said Morgan le Fay, who was one of the
queens. "I shall by enchantment make his sleep hold for six hours to
come, and shall have him borne to my castle. When he is safely within my
power I shall remove the enchantment, and then he shall be made to
choose which of us he will have for his love. If he refuse us all he
shall pay the penalty."

She did as she had said. Lancelot was laid sleeping upon his shield and
borne on horseback between two knights, and so brought to a castle
named Chariot, where he was laid, still slumbering, in a chamber. At
night-fall a fair damsel was sent to him with his supper ready prepared.
By that time the enchantment was past, and Lancelot woke as the damsel
came into his chamber and asked him how he fared.

"That I am not ready to say," answered Lancelot; "for I know not how I
came into this castle unless it were by enchantment."

"As to that I cannot speak," she replied. "I ca