had been found in Marhaus's skull, and, snatching up the sword, she
fitted this into the broken place. It fitted so closely that the blade
seemed whole. Then with a cry of passionate rage the furious woman ran
to where Tristram was in the bath, and would have run him through had
not Gouvernail caught her in his arms and wrested the sword from her
hand.

Failing in this deadly intent, she tore herself from the squire's grasp
and flew to the king, throwing herself on her knees before him and
crying,--

"Oh, my lord and husband! you have here in your house that murderous
wretch who killed my brother, the noble Sir Marhaus!"

"Ha! can that be?" said the king. "Where is he?"

"It is Tramtrist," she replied. "It is that villanous knight whom our
daughter healed, and who has shamefully abused our hospitality." And she
told him by what strange chance she had made this discovery.

"Alas!" said the king, "what you tell me grieves me to the heart. I
never saw a nobler knight than he, and I would give my crown not to have
learned this. I charge you to leave him to me. I will deal with him as
honor and justice demand."

Then the king sought Tristram in his chamber, and found him there fully
armed and ready to mount his horse.

"So, Tramtrist, you are ready for the field," he said. "I tell you this,
that it will not avail you to match your strength against my power. But
I honor you for your nobility and prowess, and it would shame me to slay
my guest in my court; therefore, I will let you depart in safety, on
condition that you tell me your name and that of your father, and if it
was truly you that slew my brother, Sir Marhaus."

"Truly it was so," said Tristram. "But what I did was done in honor and
justice, as you well know. He came as a champion and defied all the
knights of Cornwall to battle, and I fought him for the honor of
Cornwall. It was my first battle, for I was made a knight that very day.
And no man living can say that I struck him foully."

"I doubt me not that you acted in all knightly honor," answered the
king. "But you cannot stay in my country against the ill-will of my
barons, my wife, and her kindred."

"As for who I am," continued the knight, "my father is King Meliodas of
Lyonesse, and my uncle King Mark of Cornwall. My name is Tristram; but
when I was sent to your country to be cured of my wound I called myself
Tramtrist, for I feared your anger. I thank you deeply for the kind
welcome you have gi