When Sir Launcelot beheld her come thus gloriously into his room he rose
and greeted her with a very profound salutation, for he was astonished
beyond measure at beholding that shining vision. Then Queen Morgana gave
him her hand, and he kneeled, and took her jewelled fingers in his and set
her hand to his lips. "Welcome, Sir Launcelot!" quoth she; "welcome to this
place! For it is indeed a great honor to have here so noble and famous a
knight as you!"
"Ha, Lady," said Sir Launcelot, "you are gracious to me beyond measure! But
I pray you tell me how I came to this place and by what means? For when I
fell asleep yesterday at noon I lay beneath an apple-tree upon a hillside;
and when I awoke--lo! I found myself in this fair chamber."
[Sidenote: Queen Morgana seeks to beguile Sir Launcelot] To this Queen
Morgana le Fay made smiling reply as follows: "Sir, I am Queen Morgana le
Fay, of whom you may have heard tell, for I am the sister of King Arthur,
whose particular knight you are. Yesterday, at noon, riding with certain
other queens and a small court of knights, esquires, and demoiselles, we
went by where you lay sleeping.
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