uld cross themselves for
awe and terror.

So ever they floated onward until at last they came to within sight of
the town of Camelot.

After that, in a little they came to the town and as they passed by the
town walls, lo! a great multitude of people came and stood upon the
walls and gazed down upon that white bedraped barge and those who were
within. And all the people whispered to one another in awe, saying:
"What is this and what doth it portend? Is this real or is it a vision
that we behold?"

[Sidenote: _So they come to Camelot._]

But ever that barge drifted onward past the walls and past those who
stood thereon, and so, at last, it came to a landing-place of stone
steps not far distant from the castle of the King. There the dumb
bargeman made fast the barge to the iron rings of the landing-stage, and
so that strange voyage was ended.

Now at that time King Arthur and many of the lords and some of the
ladies of his court sat at feast in the royal hall of the castle, and
amongst those was Sir Launcelot and Queen Guinevere. So as they sat
thus, there came one of a sudden running into the hall as in affright,
and thereat all looked upon him and wondered wherefore he came into the
hall in that way. Then King Arthur said, "What ails thee that thou
comest hither to us thus?"

[Sidenote: _King Arthur heareth news of the barge._]

Then he who came kneeled before King Arthur, and he said: "Lord, here is
a wonderful thing. For down by the river there hath come a barge to the
landing-stairs of the castle, and that barge is hung all with white
samite embroidered with silver. And in the barge and upon a couch of
white samite there lieth a dead lady so beautiful that I do not think
her like is to be found in all of the earth. And a dumb man sits in the
stern of the boat, and a noble young knight sits in the bow of the boat
with his face shrouded in his mantle as though for grief. And that
knight sits there as silent and as motionless as the dead lady, and the
dumb man sits there also, like to an image of a man rather than a man of
flesh and blood. Wherefore it is that I have come hither to bring you
word of this wonderful thing."

Then King Arthur said: "This is indeed a most singular story that thou
tellest us. Now let us all straightway go and see what this portendeth."

So the King arose from where he sat, and he descended therefrom, and he
went forth out of the hall, and all who were there went with him.

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