ried Ysonde
from the ship to the shore. When the moment for the ordeal came the
Queen protested her innocence, saying that no man had ever laid hands
upon her save the King and the peasant who had carried her from the
ship. Mark, satisfied by her evident sincerity, refused to proceed
further with the trial, and Ysonde thus escaped the awful test.

Tristrem then betook him to Wales, and the fame of his prowess in that
land came at length to Cornwall, so that at last his uncle grew heavy
at heart for his absence and desired sight of him. Once more he
returned, but his fatal passion for Ysonde was not abated, and became
at length so grievous to the good King that he banished both of the
lovers from his sight. The two fled to a forest, and there dwelt in a
cavern, subsisting upon venison, the spoil of Tristrem's bow. One day,
weary with the chase, Tristrem lay down to rest by the side of the
sleeping Ysonde, placing his drawn sword between them. Mark, passing
that way, espied them, and from the naked sword inferring their
innocence, became reconciled to them once more. But again suspicion
fell upon them, and again Tristrem was forced to flee.

_Tristrem in Brittany_

After many adventures in Spain Tristrem arrived in Brittany, where he
aided the Duke of that country with his sword. The Duke's daughter,
known as Ysonde of the White Hand, hearing him sing one night a song
of the beauty of Ysonde, thought that Tristrem was in love with her.
The Duke therefore offered Tristrem his daughter's hand, and, in
despair of seeing Ysonde of Ireland again, he accepted the honour. But
on the wedding-day the first Ysonde's ring dropped from his finger as
if reproaching him with infidelity, and in deep remorse he vowed that
Ysonde of Brittany should be his wife in name only.

Now the Duke of Brittany bestowed on Tristrem a fair demesne divided
by an arm of the sea from the land of a powerful and savage giant
named Beliagog, and he warned his son-in-law not to incur the
resentment of this dangerous neighbour. But one day Tristrem's hounds
strayed into the forest land of Beliagog, and their master, following
them, was confronted by the wrathful owner. A long and cruel combat
ensued, and at last Tristrem lopped off one of the giant's feet.
Thereupon the monster craved mercy, which was granted on the condition
that he should build a hall in honour of Ysonde of Ireland and her
maiden, Brengwain. This hall was duly raised, and upon its wal