And I have slain this Pelleas whom ye hate: Behold his horse and armour. Open gate, And I will make you merry."

And down they ran, Her damsels, crying to their lady,,,Lo! Pelleas is dead he told us he that hath His horse and armour: will ye let him in? He slew him! Gawain, Gawain of the court, Sir Gawain there he waits below the wall, Blowing his bugle as who should say him (nay.

And so, leave given, straight on thro' open (door

Rode Gawain, whom she greeted courteous(ly,

Dead, is it so?" she ask'd.,,Ay, ay," said he, "And oft in dying cried upon your name." "Pity on him," she answer'd,,a good knight, But never let me bide one hour at peace." Ay," thought Gawain, and ye be fair enow: But I to your dead man have given my troth, That whom ye loathe him will I make you (love."

So those three days, aimless about the (land,

Lost in a doubt, Pelleas wandering Waited, until the third night brought a (moon,

With promise of large light on woods and (ways.

The night was hot: he could not rest, but (rode

Ere midnight to her walls, and bound his (horse

Hard by the gates. Wide open were the gates, And no watch kept; and in thro' these he (past,

And heard but his own steps, and his own (heart

Beating, for nothing moved but his own self, And his own shadow. Then he crost the (court,

And saw the postern portal also wide
Yawning; and up a slope of garden, all

Of roses white and red, and wild ones mixt
And overgrowing them, went on, and found,
Here too, all hush'd below the mellow moon,
Save that one rivulet from a tiny cave
Came lightening downward, and so spilt
(itself

Among the roses, and was lost again.

Then was he ware that white pavilions (rose,

Three from the bushes, gilden-peakt: in one, Red after revel, droned her lurdane knights Slumbering, and their three squires across (their feet:

In one their malice on the placid lip Froz'n by sweet sleep, four of her damsels (lay:

And in the third, the circlet of the jousts Bound on her brow, were Gawain and Et(tarre.

Back, as a hand that pushes thro' the leaf To find a nest and feels a snake, he drew : Back, as a coward slinks from what he fears To cope with, or a traitor proven; or hound Beaten, did Pelleas in an utter shame Creep with his shadow thro' the court again, Fingering at his sword-handle until he stood There on the castle-bridge once more, and (thought

I will go back, and slay them where they (lie."

And so went back and seeing them yet in (sleep

Said,,,Ye, that so dishallow the holy sleep, Your sleep is death," and drew the sword, (and thought,

"

What! slay a sleeping knight? the King (hath bound

And sworn me to this brotherhood;" again, "Alas that ever a knight should be so false." Then turn'd and so return'd, and groaning (laid

The naked sword athwart their naked (throats,

There left it, and them sleeping; and she lay, The circlet of the tourney round her brows, And the sword of the tourney across her (throat.

And forth he past, and mounting on his Stared at her towers that, larger than them(horse (selves

In their own darkness, throng'd into the (moon.

Then crush'd the saddle with his thighs, (and clench'd

His hands, and madden'd with himself and (moan'd:

He dash'd the rowel into his horse, And bounded forth and vanish'd thro' the (night.

Then she, that felt the cold touch on her (throat,

Awaking knew the sword, and turn'd her(self

To Gawain: Liar, for thou hast not slain This Pelleas! here he stood and might have (slain

Me and thyself." And he that tells the tale
Says that her ever-veering fancy turn'd
To Pelleas, as the one true knight on earth,
And only lover; and thro' her love her life
Wasted and pined, desiring him in vain.

But he by wild and way, for half the (night,

And over hard and soft, striking the sod From out the soft, the spark from off the (hard,

Rode till the star above the wakening sun, Beside that tower where Percivale was (cowl'd,

Glanced from the rosy forehead of the (dawn.

For so the words were flash'd into his heart He knew not whence or wherefore: 0 (sweet star,

Pure on the virgin forehead of the dawn." And there he would have wept, but felt his (eyes

Harder and drier than a fountain bed
In summer: thither came the village girls
And linger'd talking, and they come no
(more

Till the sweet heavens have fill'd it from (the heights

Again with living waters in the change
Of seasons: hard his eyes; harder his heart
Seem'd; but so weary were his limbs, that
(he,

Gasping, Of Arthur's hall am I, but here, Here let me rest and die," cast himself (down,

And gulph'd his griefs in inmost sleep; so (lay,

Till shaken by a dream, that Gawain fired The hall of Merlin, and the morning star Reel'd in the smoke, brake into flame, and (fell.

And pricks it deeper: and he shrank and (wail'd,

Is the Queen false?" and Percivale was (mute.

Have any of our Round Table held their (vows?

And Percivale made answer not a word.
Is the king true?"

(civale.

Not long thereafter from the city gates Issued Sir Lancelot riding airily, Warm with a gracious parting from the (Queen,

Peace at his heart, and gazing at a star And marvelling what it was: on whom the (boy,

Across the silent seeded meadow-grass Borne, clash'd: and Lancelot, saying, What name hast thou

That ridest here so blindly and so hard?" ,,I have no name," he shouted, a scourge (am I

To lash the treasons of the Table Round."

(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;

Slay then," he shriek'd, my will is to be But here will I disedge it by thy death."

And Lancelot, with his heel upon the fall'n, (slain." Rolling his eyes, a moment stood, then (spake:

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

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

(nevere.

Full wonderingly she gazed on Lancelot
So soon return'd, and then on Pelleas, 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 thee (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,