his escape. Without delay,
however, he left that spot, for fear of his foes returning, and sought a
place of shelter in the forest.

[Illustration: THE CLIFFS ABOVE THE SEA.]

Here he abode for some time, but the news of his escape got abroad, to
the discomfiture of his foes. And on a day when he had fallen asleep, a
man to whom he had done some injury crept up and shot him in the
shoulder with an arrow. Tristram sprang up and killed the man, but the
wound pained him day by day. And on news of it being brought to La Belle
Isolde she sent him word by Dame Bragwaine that the arrow had been
poisoned, and with a venom that no leech in England could cure. "My
lady, La Belle Isolde, bids you haste into Brittany to King Howell,"
said Dame Bragwaine, "for she knows no one who can help you but his
daughter, Isolde la Blanche Mains."

Hearing this, the wounded knight sent a sad farewell to his lady love,
and took ship with Gouvernail his squire, and sailed to Brittany, where
he was warmly welcomed by King Howell.

And when Isolde of the white hands heard of the errand of the knight,
she applied to his wound healing herbs of such virtue that in a little
while he was whole again.

Afterwards Tristram dwelt long in Brittany, and helped King Howell much
in his wars.

CHAPTER VI.

THE MADNESS OF SIR TRISTRAM.

Of the visit of Sir Tristram to Brittany, and the healing of his wound,
with the great deeds he did there, and how he overthrew the giant knight
Nabon le Noire, we shall not further speak. Letters at length came to
him from La Belle Isolde, in which she spoke pitifully of tales that had
been brought her, saying that he had been false to her, and had married
Isolde the White Handed, daughter of King Howell of Brittany.

On receiving these letters, Tristram set out in all haste for Cornwall,
bringing with him Kehydius, King Howell's son. On his way there he had
many adventures, and rescued King Arthur from an enchantress, who had
brought him near to death in the forest perilous. When at length he came
to Cornwall he sought the castle of Dinas the seneschal, his warmest
friend, and sent him to tell Queen Isolde that he had secretly returned.

At this longed-for news the queen swooned from pure joy. When she
recovered and was able to speak, she said, in pitiful accents,--

"Gentle seneschal, I pray you bring him where I may speak with him, or
my heart will break."

"Trust me for that," answered Dinas.

Then