Call your women, And lock yourselves within some inner room, That no harm come, till I have seen the King. I’ll rouse my friends that should have sailed with me For Brittany to-morrow. With my friends I’ll go to Arthur. Guenevere, if a hair upon your head Be threatened, I’ll not suffer it. GUENEVERE Away! SIXTH SCENE _The King’s Tower. The same night. Sentinels discovered who move off at a motion from the King._ ARTHUR _pacing up and down_. (_Enter_ GAWAINE.) GAWAINE Does not the King sleep? ARTHUR Gawaine, there are things Will not be put to sleep: thoughts in the blood.... GAWAINE You called me. Midnight’s past. It is near dawn. ARTHUR There’s something secret round me. GAWAINE Not in me, That with my life would guard you. ARTHUR Guard? From what? What, Gawaine? Why, too, when I came among you-- Bedivere, Mordred, all of you--I heard Hot cries of quarrel called and answered back-- Why was there silence? When I questioned, none Found voice. GAWAINE They were ashamed. ARTHUR Were you ashamed, Gawaine? GAWAINE Not I. ARTHUR And yet you answered not. GAWAINE My King, you know that Mordred and his friends Are glib in slander. ARTHUR Slander of whom? The truth! GAWAINE They hate and envy Launcelot. To-morrow Let them face Launcelot. You shall hear them then. ARTHUR This was no cause they should not speak to-night. How fell this quarrel out? At my Queen’s feast! Her guests! and Launcelot absent. GAWAINE I forget. ARTHUR Remember. It was insult to my Queen. How could you suffer it? GAWAINE I did not, sir. Nor any of your friends. ARTHUR And she, and she? Said they aught of her, of Guenevere? GAWAINE Ah, King, My blood’s all rage. Pardon my silence now. ARTHUR They spoke of her! They have talked of her abroad! My royal Guenevere! I did not know. I have been housed in my own roof of cares. I have been strange to her, that needed me. Where’s Launcelot? GAWAINE He took the young Lavaine, And they together have buried that fair maid Who died for Launcelot’s love. He’ll be abed Ere this. ARTHUR Ah! GAWAINE Surely. ARTHUR Launcelot fled me. Why? GAWAINE