"Yesterday," said the knight, "Morgan le Fay sent me that sword by a dwarf, that with it I might slay the knight with whom I should fight this day! And she would also pledge me to slay King Arthur, her brother, for she hates him above any man in the world."
"How know you that to be so?"
"I have loved her long, and know her purposes well, nor shall I longer keep them secret. If by craft she could slay Arthur, she would quickly dispose of her husband, King Uriens. Then it was her intent to make me king of this realm, and to reign herself as its queen. But all this now is at an end, for death is upon me."
"It would have been great wrong in you to destroy your lord," said Arthur.
"That I never could have had the heart to do," said Accolan. "But I pray you to tell me your name, and from what court you come?"
"I am from Camelot, and men know me as King Arthur. I am he against whom you plotted such deep treason."
Then Accolan cried out in anguish,--
"My fair, sweet lord, have mercy on me, for I knew you not."
"You knew me not at this time, Accolan, but you have confessed that you plotted treason against me, and laid plans to compa.s.s my death. Yet I blame you the less that Morgan le Fay has worked on you with her false arts. I have honored and loved her most of all my kin, and have trusted her as I would my wife, and this is how she repays me. By the faith of my body, if I live I shall be deeply revenged upon her for this."
Then he called to the keepers of the field, and said,--
"Here, fair sirs, are two knights who have fought nearly to the death through ignorance of each other. For had either of us known the other you would have seen no battle to-day, and no stroke given or returned."
Then Accolan called out to those who had gathered around,--
"Lords and knights, this n.o.ble warrior with whom I have fought is the man of most valor, manhood, and worship on English soil, for he is no less than our liege lord, King Arthur. Had I but dreamed it was he, I would have killed myself rather than have drawn sword against him."
At this surprising news the people fell upon their knees before the king and begged mercy and pardon.
"Pardon you shall have," said the king, "for you were ignorant of my person. It is my fault if harm came to me in disguise. And here you may all see what adventures and dangers knights-errant are exposed to; for, unknown to each other, I and one of my own knights have fought for hours, to the great damage of us both. We are both sorely hurt, but before seeking rest it is my duty to settle the dispute which gave rise to this combat. I have been your champion, Sir Damas, and have won your cause. But as the victor I claim the right to give judgment, and as I know you for a villain and coward, I adjudge unto your brother all the manor in dispute, with the provision that he hold it of you, and yearly give you in lieu of rent a palfrey to ride upon, which will become such a base poltroon much better than a war-horse. And I charge you, upon pain of death, to restore to these twenty knights their armor and property, and never again to distress a knight-errant. If complaint of such shall be made to me, by my head, you shall die for it. Sir Ontzlake, you are said to be a good and valiant knight, and true and worthy in your deeds. I desire you to come to my court as soon as possible, where you shall be one of my knights, and, if your deeds hereafter conform to the good report I have heard of you, you soon shall equal your brother in estate."
"I am at your command," said Ontzlake, "and thank you humbly for your goodness and bounty. As for this battle, I would have fought it myself, only that lately I was deeply wounded in a combat with a wandering knight."
"I would it had been so," said Arthur, "for treason was used against me in this combat, and had I fought with you I should not have been so badly hurt. My own sword was stolen and I was given a false and brittle blade, which failed me in my greatest need."
"Great pity it is that a king so n.o.ble and a knight so worthy should have been thus foully dealt with."
"I shall reward the traitor in short time, by the grace of G.o.d," said Arthur. "Now tell me how far I am from Camelot?"
"You are two days" journey distant."
"Then where can I obtain shelter and rest?"
"There is an abbey but three miles distant where you will find skilled leeches and good nursing."
Then King Arthur took his leave of the people, and repaired with Accolan to the abbey, where he and the knight were placed under medical care.
Arthur"s wounds, though deep and painful, proved not serious, and he rapidly recovered, but Accolan had lost so much blood that he died within four days. Then Arthur had the corpse sent on a horse-bier, attended by six knights, to Camelot, saying to the messengers,--
"Bear this body to my sister, Morgan le Fay, and say to her that I send it as a present. Tell her, moreover, that, through her sisterly kindness, I have again my sword Excalibur and the scabbard, and shall visit her ere long."
CHAPTER III.
HOW MORGAN CHEATED THE KING.
In the meantime Morgan le Fay was so sure of the success of her murderous plot, to aid which she had used all her power of necromancy, that she felt it safe to complete her scheme. Seeing her husband, King Uriens, lying asleep upon his couch, she called a maiden, who was in her confidence, and said,--
"Bring me my lord"s sword. Now shall my work be ended."
"Oh, madam," cried the damsel, "would you slay your lord! If you do so you can never escape."
"Leave that to me, girl. Bring me the sword at once; I am the best judge of what it is fit to do."
The damsel departed with a heavy heart, but finding Sir Uwaine, King Uriens" son, asleep in another chamber, she waked him and said,--
"Rise at once and go to your mother. She has vowed to kill the king, your father, and has sent me in all haste for his sword."
"To kill him!" cried Uwaine. "What treachery is this?--But go, bring the sword as she bids. Leave it to me to deal with her."
The damsel did as she was bidden, and brought the sword to the queen, giving it to her with hands that quaked with fear. Morgan seized it with a firm grasp, and went boldly to the bedside, where she stood looking with cruel eyes on the sleeping king. As she lifted the sword for the murderous blow, Uwaine, who had silently entered, sprang upon her and seized her hand in a crushing grip.
"You fiend, what would you do?" he fiercely cried. "If you were not my mother I would smite off your head with this sword. Men say that Merlin was born of a devil; but well I believe that I have an earthly fiend for mother. To kill my father thus!--in his slumber!--what foul device is this?"
His face and voice were so full of righteous fury that the queen quaked to her heart with fear, and she clasped her hands in terror upon her throat.
"Oh, Uwaine, my dear son, have mercy on me! The foul fiend tempted me to this deed. Let me live to repent of this base intent, which I pray you to keep secret. I swear never again to attempt so foul a deed."
"Can I trust you? Truth and murder do not go together."
"On my soul, I vow to keep my word!"
"Live, then; but beware you rouse me not again by such a murderous thought."
Hardly had the false-hearted queen escaped from the indignation of her son when tidings came to her which filled her with as deep a dread as when Uwaine had threatened her with the sword, while the grief it brought her was deeper than her fear. For she learned that Accolan had been slain in the battle, and that his dead body had been sent her.
Soon, indeed, came the funeral train, with the message that Arthur had sent. Then sorrow and terror together filled her heart till it threatened to break, for she had loved Accolan with all her soul, and his fate wounded her almost to death. But she dared not let this grief be seen upon her countenance, lest the secret of her love should be discovered; and she was forced to wear a cheerful aspect above a bleeding heart. And this she knew, besides, that if she should remain in Camelot until Arthur"s return, all the gold in the realm would not buy her life.
She went, therefore, unto Queen Guenever and asked leave to ride into the country.
"Why not remain to greet your brother on his return? He sends word that he will soon be here."
"I should much like to, Guenever, but hasty tidings have come which require that I should make no delay."
"If that be so," answered Guenever, "let me not stay you. You may depart when you will."
On the next morning, before daybreak, Morgan took horse, and rode all that day and the greater part of the night. On the following day by noon she came to the abbey where Arthur lay. Here she asked the nuns where he was, and they answered that he was sleeping in his chamber, for he had had but little rest during the three nights past.
"Then see that none of you waken him," she said. "I will go visit him in his chamber. I am his sister, Morgan le Fay."