a false
knight, recreant to his promise. Therefore, I must stand by my word, and
hold you to your boon, that you will give me La Belle Isolde to go with
me to Cornwall, there to be wedded to King Mark, my uncle."

"As for that, I cannot deny you. She shall go with you, but as to what
may happen thereafter, I leave that for you to decide. If you choose to
wed her yourself, that will give me the greatest joy. But if you
determine to give her to King Mark, the right rests with you. I have
passed my word, though I wish now that I had not."

Then Isolde was told of what had passed, and bade to make ready to go
with Tristram, a lady named Bragwaine going with her as chief
gentlewoman, while many others were selected as her attendants. When the
preparations were fully made, the queen, Isolde's mother, gave to Dame
Bragwaine and Gouvernail a golden flask containing a drink, and charged
them that on the day of Isolde's wedding they should give King Mark that
drink, bidding him to quaff it to the health of La Belle Isolde, and her
to quaff his health in return.

"It is a love draught," continued the queen, "and if they shall drink it
I undertake to say that each shall love the other for all the days of
their life."

Not many days passed before Tristram took to the sea, with the fair
maiden who had been committed to his charge, and they sailed away on a
mission that had for them both far more of sadness than of joy, for
their love grew as the miles passed.

One day, as they sat together in the cabin, it happened that they became
thirsty, and by chance they saw on a shelf near them a little golden
flask, filled with what by the color seemed to be a noble wine. Tristram
took it down and said, with a laugh,--

"Madam Isolde, here is the best drink that ever you drank, a precious
draught which Dame Bragwaine, your maiden, and Gouvernail, my servant,
are keeping for themselves. Let us drink from their private store."

Then with laughter and merriment they drank freely from the flask, and
both thought that they had never tasted draught so sweet and delicious
in their lives before. But when the magic wine got into their blood,
they looked upon each other with new eyes, for their hearts were
suddenly filled with such passionate love as they had not dreamed that
heart could feel. Tristram thought that never had mortal eyes gazed upon
a maiden of such heavenly charms, and Isolde that there was never man
born so grand and graceful as