husband, here have ye in your house that traitor
knight that slew my brother and your champion, that noble knight, Sir
Marhaus. It is Sir Tramor, as he falsely calleth himself, but the piece
of steel that was taken from my brother's brain fits a notch in his
sword.'

'Alas,' cried King Anguish, 'then am I right heavy, for he is as full
noble a knight as ever I knew; and I charge ye, have not to do with
him, but let me deal in this matter.'

The king went to Sir Tristram and found him fully armed, as if ready to
fight for his life, for he knew that now the truth had been discovered.

'Nay, Sir Tramor,' said the king gravely, 'it will not avail thee to
fight me. But this will I do for the love and honour I bear thee.
Inasmuch as ye are within my court it would be no worship for me to
have thee taken and slain, and therefore will I let thee freely depart
if thou wilt tell me this: Who is thy father and what is thy name? And
didst thou truly and rightly slay Sir Marhaus?'

'Tristram is my name,' replied the young knight, 'and I am son of King
Talloch of Lyones. For the truage of Cornwall I fought for the sake of
my uncle King Mark, and the battle with Sir Marhaus was the first I
had, for I was made knight for that alone. Sir Marhaus went from me
alive into his ship, though he left his sword and shield behind him.'

'I may not say that ye have done aught but what a good knight should
do,' replied the king, 'but I may not maintain you in this country
unless I would displease my wife and her kin.'

'Sir,' said Sir Tristram, 'I thank you for your goodness and for the
kind cheer which I have had here of yourself and your queen and La
Belle Isoude. I will depart straightway when I have bidden your
daughter farewell, for I owe my life to her gentle hands; and I promise
this, that I will be your daughter's servant and knight in right or
wrong, to shield her and fight for her, and do all that a knight may do
in her behalf, as long as I live.'

Then took he his leave of La Belle Isoude, and he told her all how he
had come to that land. He thanked her heartily for all her gentleness
to him and for her healing of his wound. At first she stood silent,
changing red and white of face, and with downcast eyes, her fingers
straining about each other. When he swore that he would be her knight,
to fight for her whenever she should send for him, and bade her
good-bye, she took the hand which he held forth, but would not look at
him.