And blaze the crime of Lancelot and the Queen.'
First over me,' said Lancelot, 'shalt thou pass.'
'Fight therefore,' yell'd the other, and either knight
Drew back a space, and when they closed, at once

The weary steed of Pelleas floundering flung

His rider, who called out from the dark field,

'Thou art false as Hell: slay me: I have no sword.' Then Lancelot, 'Yea, between thy lips-and sharp; But here will I disedge it by thy death.'

'Slay then,' he shriek'd, 'my will is to be slain.'

6

And Lancelot, with his heel upon the fall'n,

Rolling his eyes, a moment stood, then spake :

Rise, weakling; I am Lancelot; say thy say.'

And Lancelot slowly rode his war-horse back
To Camelot, and Sir Pelleas in brief while

Caught his unbroken limbs from the dark field,
And follow'd to the city.

It chanced that both

Brake into hall together, worn and pale.

There with her knights and dames was Guinevere.

Full wonderingly she gazed on Lancelot

So soon return'd, and then on Pellens, him

Who had not greeted her, but cast himself

Down on a bench, hard-breathing. 'Have ye fought?'
She ask'd of Lancelot. Ay, my Queen,' he said.
And thou hast overthrown him?' 'Ay, my Queen.'
Then she, turning to Pelleas, 'O young knight,
Hath the great heart of knighthood in theo fail'd
So far thou canst not bide, unfrowardly,

A fall from him?' Then, for he answer'd not,

'Or hast thou other griefs? If I, the Queen,

May help them, loose thy tongue, and let me know.'

But Pelleas lifted up an eye so fierce

She quail'd; and he, hissing 'I have no sword,'

Sprang from the door into the dark. The Queen

Look'd hard upon her lover, he on her;

And each foresaw the dolorous day to be:
And all talk died, as in a grove all song

Beneath the shadow of some bird of prey,

Then a long silence came upon the hall, '

And Modred thought, 'The time is hard at hand.'

THE PASSING OF ARTHUR.

K