e said, 'though that my brother be beaten of body by this
valiant knight, he hath not beaten his heart, and so I thank God he
hath not been shamed in this fight. And rather than he be shamed,' said
Sir Bleobaris, white and stern, 'I require that you command Sir
Tristram to slay him out of hand!'

'That shall not be,' said the judges, 'for neither King Anguish nor Sir
Tristram desire to shame your valiant brother.'

'We do not,' said both the king and Sir Tristram.

Therewith, by the advice of the judges, Sir Tristram and Sir Bleobaris
took up Sir Blamor; and the two brothers made peace with King Anguish
and kissed each other and swore friendship with him for ever. Then Sir
Blamor and Sir Tristram kissed, and the two brothers, their hands
clasping those of Sir Tristram, swore that there should for ever be
peace and love between them; and this did Sir Tristram swear also.

Inasmuch as, of his nobleness and generosity, Sir Tristram would not
take Sir Blamor's life because he refused to yield him, Sir Lancelot
and all his kinsmen loved Sir Tristram, and were ever his friends and
spoke well and knightly of him.

Then King Anguish and Sir Tristram took their leave and sailed into
Ireland with great joy; and when they had arrived there, the king let
make a great cry throughout his dominions, of the manner in which Sir
Tristram had fought for him, and how for that deed he accounted him the
noblest knight among his friends, and that all should treat him with
friendship and no deceit.

When, also, the queen and the kin of Sir Marhaus heard how Sir Tristram
had borne himself in the trial by combat, they agreed that now they
should not seek to slay him, since his great help in this matter had
wiped out his ill-doing in the slaying of Sir Marhaus.

So the queen and the knights of the court and the common people made
much of Sir Tristram wheresoever he went; but the joy that La Belle
Isoude had in her heart no tongue may tell. When Sir Tristram was led
to her and they met after so long an absence from each other, men saw
the lovely face light up with so sweet and high a look that they
marvelled at her beauty. Yet they saw how straitly Sir Tristram held
himself, and made not much of his meeting with her and did not seek her
company.

Then on a day King Anguish asked Sir Tristram what was the boon he
craved.

'But whatever it be,' said the king, 'it is yours without fail.'

Sir Tristram's face went hard and white, and after