hee put back the sword into its place and draw it forth
again."

"That is no mystery," said Arthur; and straightway set it in the stone.
And then Sir Ector pulled at it himself, and after him Sir Key, with all
his might, but both of them in vain: then Arthur reaching forth his hand
and grasping at the pommel, pulled it out easily, and at once.

Then fell Sir Ector down upon his knees upon the ground before young
Arthur, and Sir Key also with him, and straightway did him homage as their
sovereign lord.

[Illustration: Then fell Sir Ector down upon his knees upon the ground
before young Arthur, and Sir Key also with him.]

But Arthur cried aloud, "Alas! mine own dear father and my brother, why
kneel ye thus to me?"

"Nay, my Lord Arthur," answered then Sir Ector, "we are of no
blood-kinship with thee, and little though I thought how high thy kin
might be, yet wast thou never more than foster-child of mine." And then he
told him all he knew about his infancy, and how a stranger had delivered
him, with a great sum of gold, into his hands to be brought up and
nourished as his own born child, and then had disappeared.

But when young Arthur heard of it, he fell upon Sir Ector's neck, and
wept, and made great lamentation, "For now," said he, "I have in one day
lost my father and my mother and my brother."

"Sir," said Sir Ector presently, "when thou shalt be made king be good and
gracious unto me and mine."

"If not," said Arthur, "I were no true man's son at all, for thou art he
in all the world to whom I owe the most; and my good lady and mother, thy
wife, hath ever kept and fostered me as though I were her own; so if it be
God's will that I be king hereafter as thou sayest, desire of me whatever
thing thou wilt and I will do it; and God forbid that I should fail thee
in it."

"I will but pray," replied Sir Ector, "that thou wilt make my son Sir Key,
thy foster-brother, seneschal of all the lands."

"That shall he be," said Arthur; "and never shall another hold that
office, save thy son, while he and I do live."

Anon, they left the church and went to the archbishop to tell him that the
sword had been achieved. And when he saw the sword in Arthur's hand he set
a day and summoned all the princes, knights, and barons to meet again at
St. Paul's Church and see the will of Heaven signified. So when they came
together, the sword was put back in the stone, and all tried, from the
greatest to the least, to move it; but