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fair fame. I doubt not, however, that some good knight will take this charge
upon himself, and put his body in jeopardy for my queen. For if this be not
done, dost thou know what is the penalty?"
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"She must be burnt," said Mador sullenly. "But she hath done the deed and will
merit the doom."
"Cease, hasty man," said King Arthur sternly; "it goeth to my heart to hear
thee pronounce the doom thou wouldst visit upon that fair lady. Fear not, Sir
Mador, she shall find some good knight to do combat for her.
Therefore do thou name thy day of battle."
"But hark ye, lord," said Sir Mador, "there is none of the fourandtwenty
knights that were bidden to this dinner that hath not suspicion of the queen
for this deed. Therefore, no knight can take this charge upon him in her
behalf. What say ye, my lords?"
He turned to the silent moody men about the dais.
The knights looked troubled, and were dumb for some moments; but at the last
Sir Gawaine said:
"We cannot excuse the queen, for she gave the feast. And either the poison
came by her will or by her servants."
But most of the knights were silent, and Sir Bors and his kindred were very
sorrowful. King Arthur was heavy at the words of Sir Gawaine.
"Now, king," cried Sir Mador triumphantly, "I require ye, as ye be a righteous
king, give me a day that I may have justice."
"That will I do," said the king, "as I must do, that am a just king. I give
you this day fifteen days, that ye be ready armed on horseback in the meadow
beside the wall at London; and if it so fall out that there be a knight to
encounter you, then God speed the right; and if there be no knight to take
arms for my queen, then must she suffer by fire."
So sorrowful were the king's words that many knights had much ado to keep from
weeping.
"And meanwhile," said Sir Mador, "I do require that ye keep the queen in close
ward and prison, lest any try a rescue, and thus defeat the justice that is my
due."
Though it went to the king's heart to have to order this, he gave the queen
into the keeping of Sir Kay, who kept her in her chamber, guarded by three
knights, to the great grief of her women and all the court.
Then the queen sent for Sir Bors, and when he was come she threw herself on
her knees full piteously before him and wept sorely, and begged that he would
save her from this dreadful death.
"For by my confession unto Heaven," she cried, "I know naught of this wicked
deed how it was brought about. And will ye not take this combat upon ye for my
sake? For I am sure if your kinsman, Sir Lancelot, was here, he would not
suffer this evil suspicion to lie against me. For he hath ever been my most
faithful knight, but now am I without friend in this great pass."
"Madam," replied Sir Bors, "what can I do? For if I take this charge upon me
for your sake, men will say I
was your aider in this crime that they charge upon you.
And I see not how I may fight for you except by endangering my own life
without saving yours. But I tell ye, madam, what I will do. I will hasten with
all speed to the north, trusting in God to get news of Sir Lancelot, so that I
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may tell him and bring him here within the time appointed."
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X. OF THE PLOTS OF SIR MORDRED, AND HOW SIR LANCELOT SAVED THE QUEEN
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"Ah, good Sir Bors," cried the queen, and clasped his hands. "Do ye do that,
for I know that Sir Lancelot will never believe me guilty of so great a crime.
And I will pray hourly that ye find him and bring him to me in time, so that
my poor body be not unjustly given to the dreadful flames."
Forthwith Sir Bors armed himself, and with two squires set forth instantly and
sent his men in different ways, so that among the three they should not fail
to hear where, in the northern marches, a knight so famous as Sir
Lancelot might be found.
No rest did the good Sir Bors give to himself, but swiftly did he ride hither
and thither questioning all knights whom he met, and inquiring of every
hermitage and abbey and at every harbourage. Finally, when eleven days had
passed of the fifteen, he found Sir Lancelot lying wounded at a broken abbey,
from which, in a fierce fight, he had but two days before thrust out a band of
pagans, who would have murdered the nuns and robbed the church of its holy
relics.
Full wroth was Sir Lancelot when, having lovingly greeted each other, Sir Bors
told him all that had passed with the queen.
"The foul traitors!" he cried, and, getting fiercely from the pallet on which
he lay, he strode up and down the chamber clenching his hands and gnashing his
teeth.
"Do any dare to suspect herdo any think in cold blood to see that peerless
lady bound to the stake, the flames devouring her noble person? That men
should think such things, and move not a hand in noble wrath, shows how evil
are the days in which we live!"
Then he rushed from the room, wounded as he was; and, full of a cold wrath, he
ordered his arms to be brought and his horse to be saddled. And to the gentle
persuasions of the nuns he said he must be gone, "for he must stay a wrong
that, if suffered, would sink the kingdom in unquenchable shame and ruin."
Then with Sir Bors he rode southwards, full fiercely, and never resting to
eat, but taking food as he rode. At night he would not doff his armour, but
slept beside his horse; and seldom spoke, but was consumed as by a great fire
of anger.
And on the fourteenth day they rode into London.
"Go beg the queen to see me," he said to Sir Bors.
Sir Bors went, and Sir Lancelot strode unto an hostelry to wash from himself
the stains of travel, and to don a fitting robe in which to appear before the
queen.
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