quire me to make
you a Knight.' Then Tor jumped off his mare and pulled out his sword,
and knelt before the King, praying that he might be made a Knight and
a Knight of the Round Table.

'As for a Knight, that I will make you,' said Arthur, smiting him in
the neck with the sword, 'and if you are worthy of it you shall be a
Knight of the Round Table.' And the next day he made Gawaine Knight
also.

[Illustration: MERLIN AND VIVIEN]

_THE PASSING OF MERLIN._

Sir Tor proved before long by his gallant deeds that he was worthy to
sit in one of the two empty seats of the Round Table. Many of the
other Knights went out also in search of adventures, and one of them,
Sir Pellinore, brought a damsel of the lake to Arthur's Court, and
when Merlin saw her he fell in love with her, so that he desired to be
always in her company. The damsel laughed in secret at Merlin, but
made use of him to tell her all she would know, and the wizard had no
strength to say her nay, though he knew what would come of it. For he
told King Arthur that before long he should be put into the earth
alive, for all his cunning. He likewise told the King many things that
should befall him, and warned him always to keep the scabbard as well
as the sword Excalibur, and foretold that both sword and scabbard
should be stolen from him by a woman whom he most trusted. 'You will
miss my counsel sorely,' added Merlin, 'and would give all your lands
to have me back again.' 'But since you know what will happen,' said
the King, 'you may surely guard against it.' 'No,' answered Merlin,
'that will not be.' So he departed from the King, and the maiden
followed him whom some call Nimue and others Vivien, and wherever she
went Merlin went also.

They journeyed together to many places, both at home and across the
seas, and the damsel was wearied of him, and sought by every means to
be rid of him, but he would not be shaken off. At last these two
wandered back to Cornwall, and one day Merlin showed Vivien a rock
under which he said great marvels were hidden. Then Vivien put forth
all her powers, and told Merlin how she longed to see the wonders
beneath the stone, and, in spite of all his wisdom, Merlin listened to
her and crept under the rock to bring forth the strange things that
lay there. And when he was under the stone she used the magic he had
taught her, and the rock rolled over him, and buried him alive, as he
had told King Arthur. But the damsel departed