rieved very sorely for sorrow of that sight, for he too thought that
Sir Tristram was certainly about to die.

But Sir Tristram smiled upon King Mark, and he said: "Lord, have I done
well for thy sake?" And King Mark said, "Yea," and fell to weeping again.

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram proclaims himself to King Mark] "Then," quoth
Tristram, "it is time for me to tell thee who I am who have saved thy
kingdom from the shame of having to pay truage to Ireland, and that I am
thine own sister's son. For my father is King Meliadus of Lyonesse, and my
mother was the Lady Elizabeth, who was thine own sister till God took her
soul to Paradise to dwell there with His angels."

But when King Mark heard this he went forth from that place and into his
own chamber. And when he had come there he fell down upon his knees and
cried out aloud: "Alas, alas, that this should be! Rather, God, would I
lose my entire kingdom than that my sister's son should come to his death
in this wise!"

Now it remaineth to say of Sir Marhaus that those who were with him brought
him back to Ireland and that there in a little while he died of the wound
that Sir Tristram had given him upon the head. But ere he died, and whilst
they were dressing that hurt, the Queen of Ireland, who was sister to Sir
Marhaus, discovered the broken piece of the blade still in that grim wound.
This she drew forth and set aside, and hid very carefully, saying to
herself: "If ever I meet that knight to whose sword this piece of blade
fitteth, then it will be an evil day for him."

Thus I have told you all the circumstances of that great battle betwixt Sir
Tristram of Lyonesse and Sir Marhaus of Ireland. And now you shall hear how
it befell Sir Tristram thereafter; so harken to what followeth.

[Illustration: The Lady Belle Isoult]

Chapter Third

_How Sir Tristram went to Ireland to be healed of his wound by the King's
daughter of Ireland, and of how he came to love the Lady Belle Isoult. Also
concerning Sir Palamydes and the Lady Belle Isoult._

Now that grievous hurt which Sir Tristram had received at the hands of Sir
Marhaus did not heal, but instead grew even more rankled and sore, so that
there were many who thought that there had been treachery practised and
that the spearhead had been poisoned to cause such a malignant disease as
that with which the wounded man suffered. So by and by Sir Tristram grew so
grievously sick of his hurt that all those who were near h