The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1903-04-30

~ UT when King Arthur had
x come unto the lake, there he
beheld the miracle that Mer-
6 lin had told to him aforetime.
For, 10! there in the midst Of the OK
panse Of water was the appearance Of
n fair and beautiful arm, as Of a
woman, clad in all white samite. And
the arm was encircled with several
bracelets Of wrought gold; and the
hand held a sword Of marvellous work.
manship nloft In the air above the sur
face Of the water; and neither the arm
nor the sword moved so much as
hairs'breadth, but were motionless like
to a carven image upon the surface OF
the lake. And behold! the sun Of that
strange land shonc down upon the hilt
Of the sword, and It was Of pure gold
beset with jewels OF several sorts,
so that the hilt OF the sword and the
bracelets that cncircled the arm
glistencd In the midst Of the lake like
to some triangular star Of exceeding
splendor.
And so King Arthur sat upon his
war-horsc and gazed from q distance
at the arm and the sword, and he
greatly marveled thereat; yet he wist
not how he might come at that sword.
for the lake was wonderfully wide and
Ceep, wherefore he knew not how he
might come thereunto for to mako It
his own. And as he sat bordering
within himself, be was suddenly aware
Of a strange lady, who approached
him through those tall flowers that
bloomed along the margin Of the lake.
And when he perceived her coming
toward him he quickly dsmounted
from his war-horsc, and, with the
bridle-rein over his arm, he went for
ward for to meet her. AS he came
nigh to her he perceived that she was
wonderfully beautiful, and that her
hair was like silk and as black as It
was possible to be, and so long that
1t reached unto the ground as she
walked. And this strange lady was
clad all I'm green, only that fine cord
of crimson and gold was interviewer
into the pleats Of her hair. And around
her neck there hung a very beautiful
necklace Of several strands of opal
stones and emeralds set in cunningly
wrought gold; and around her wrists
were bracelets of the like sort, OF
opal stones and emeralds set In gold
And when King Arthur beheld her
wonderful appearance, lie Immediately
knelt before her upon one knee in the
midst Of all those flowers. Lady"
quoth he, II do certainly perceive that
thou art no mortal demoiselle. Also
that this place, because of its extraor-
binary beauty, can be no other than
SCI le land Of faerle into which have
en- lred."
4 King Arthur" replied the lady,
III )u sayst soothly for 1 am indeed
faeiie. Moreover, may tell thee that
my name is Nymue, and that am the
chiefest Of those ladies Of the lake Of
whom thou mayst have heard people
speak"
Lady" said King Arthur, "that
which thou tellest me causes me to
wonder very great deal, And, in
deed, I am afraid that in coming hther-
ward 1 have been doing amiss for to
intrude upon the solitude Of your dwell.
ing-place."
NAY, not so, King Arthur" quoth
the Lady Of the Lake; "for, in truth,
thou art very welcome hereunto. Like
wise, l may tell thee that thou couldst
not have entered this land had we
not been willing for thee to do So.
Moreover, l tell thee truly that 1 have
greater friendliness for thee and
those noble knights Of thy court than
thou canst easily wot of. But 1 do
beseech thee Of thy courtesy for to tell
me what it is that brings thee to our
land"
Lady" quoth the King, II will tell
thee the entire truth. / fought of late
a bnttle with a certain Sable Knight, in
the which 1 was sorely and grievously
wounded, and wherein burst my
spear and snapped my sword and lost
even my misericorde, so that had not
a single thing left me, by way Of a
weapon. In this extremity Merlin,
here, told me Of Excolibur. and Of how
It is continuously upheld by an arm
In the midst of this magical Lake. So