How furiously he fought! MORDRED _enters through curtains. He pauses a moment; then goes off at side._ GARETH There’s one he toppled down. LAVAINE What prince is that? GAHERIS Mordred. GARETH No friend to Launcelot, nor to us. LAVAINE Then none to me. GARETH Hush! He is dangerous. GAHERIS There are black bruises under those fine silks, I’ll swear. How hard Sir Launcelot struck! GARETH The Queen Should have been there to see him. GAHERIS It is strange: He wore a lady’s favour, a red sleeve. GARETH And never in his life wore such a badge. GAHERIS None will dare ask his secret. LAVAINE The red sleeve? It is my sister’s. She prevailed on him To wear it for her sake. GAHERIS Your sister’s? Ah! (_The brothers exchange looks._ MORDRED _reappears with_ AGRAVAINE.) GARETH Mordred again! And Agravaine with him. GAHERIS (_to_ LAVAINE) His brother. GARETH And both dangerous. (_Music sounds within._) GAHERIS Let’s be quit. GARETH Hark! There’s the music. (_The young men bow ceremoniously as they pass in to_ MORDRED _and_ AGRAVAINE, _who come down to the steps and begin talking hurriedly_.) AGRAVAINE What do you want of me? MORDRED A private word Before the banquet. I have news to-night. These headstrong rebels chafing in the West Are grown impatient. If we act not quickly They’ll doubt my power. I have promised them too much. AGRAVAINE Good. Then we strike and kill this Launcelot. MORDRED Fool, To glut your appetite, you’d lose the world. AGRAVAINE What is the scheme, then, that shall better it? MORDRED I stake my first throw on this feast to-night. The Queen is vext and in her stormy mood, For that she feigned a sickness in excuse To absent her from the jousts. Now when she’s tinder To any chance fire--words can strike a spark; Watch me for that--her secret may be out Before she know it. AGRAVAINE You are too cunning, Mordred. MORDRED The King will not believe Without stark proof. But he shall have it. Listen. I have a fellow, silent as the snow, Who watches; he is soft on Launcelot’s steps, And Launcelot’s a moth that cannot choose But flit to the candle. There’s a secret way To the Queen’s chamber, cunningly contrived; Since Launcelot went, I have found it. Soon or late We trap him; it may be this very night. AGRAVAINE Stark proof for the King! MORDRED