“Wherefore make so much sorrow now?” said the lady.

“I know not,” answered he, “but my heart grieveth greatly for this poor lady’s death, so fair she was and young.”

Then he required a hermit to bury the remains of the bodies, and bare the lady’s head with him to Camelot, to the court.

When he was arrived, he was sworn to tell the truth of his quest before the King and Queen, and when he had entered the Queen somewhat upbraided him, saying, “Ye were much to blame that ye saved not that lady’s life.”

“Madam,” said he, “I shall repent it all my life.”

“Ay, king,” quoth Merlin, who suddenly came in, “and so ye ought to do, for that lady was your daughter, not seen since infancy by thee.  And she was on her way to court, with a right good young knight, who would have been her husband, but was slain by treachery of a felon knight, Lorraine le Savage, as they came; and because thou wouldst not abide and help her, thy best friend shall fail thee in thine hour of greatest need, for such is the penance ordained thee for that deed.”

Then did King Pellinore tell Merlin secretly of the treason he had heard in the forest, and Merlin by his craft so ordered that the knight who bare the poison was himself soon after slain by it, and so King Arthur’s life was saved.

CHAPTER VII

King Arthur and Sir Accolon of Gaul

Being now happily married, King Arthur for a season took his pleasure, with great tournaments, and jousts, and huntings.  So once upon a time the king and many of his knights rode hunting in a forest, and Arthur, King Urience, and Sir Accolon of Gaul, followed after a great hart, and being all three well mounted, they chased so fast that they outsped their company, and left them many miles behind; but riding still as rapidly as they could go, at length their horses fell dead under them.  Then being all three on foot, and seeing the stag not far before them, very weary and nigh spent—­“What shall we do,” said King Arthur, “for we are hard bested?” “Let us go on afoot,” said King Urience, “till we can find some lodging.”  At that they saw the stag lying upon the bank of a great lake, with a hound springing at his throat, and many other hounds trooping towards him.  So, running forward, Arthur blew the death-note on his horn, and slew the hart.  Then lifting up his eyes he saw before him on the lake a barge, all draped down to the water’s edge, with silken folds and curtains, which swiftly came towards him, and touched upon the sands; but when he went up close and looked in, he saw no earthly creature.  Then he cried out to his companions, “Sirs, come ye hither, and let us see what there is in this ship.”  So they all three went in, and found it everywhere throughout furnished, and hung with rich draperies of silk and gold.