passed before Sir Tristram, he beheld that she wore upon her
thumb a very fair and shining ring, that bare a green stone set in wrought
gold. And when he looked again he saw it was that ring of carven emerald
that he had given to Sir Lamorack as aforetold.

At this Sir Tristram was astonished beyond measure, and he ordered that
woman to come before him, and she came and stood before him trembling. Then
Sir Tristram said: "Fear not, but tell me where got ye that ring that I
behold upon your hand?" And the woman said: "Lord, I will tell you the very
truth. My husband is the chief fisherman of this place, and one day, some
while ago, he gave me this ring when I had favor in his sight."

Sir Tristram said, "Where is your husband?" The slave-woman said, "Yonder
he stands." Then Sir Tristram said: "Come hither, Sirrah!" And therewith
the fisherman came and stood before Sir Tristram as his wife had done, and
he also trembled with fear as she had done.

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram questions the fisherman] To him Sir Tristram said,
"Why do you tremble so?" And the fisher-man said, "Lord, I am afeard!" Sir
Tristram said: "Have no fear, unless you have done wrong, but tell me the
truth. Where got ye that ring that yonder woman weareth?" "Lord," said the
fisherman, "I will tell you the perfect truth. One day I and several of my
fellows found a man lying naked in a bed of heather near the seaside. At
first we thought he was dead, but he awoke and arose when he heard our
voices. He was naked and hungry, and he besought us for clothes to cover
his nakedness and for food to eat. So we gave him what we could, demanding
that ring in payment. So he gave the ring to me, who am the chief of the
fishermen, and I gave it to that woman who is my wife; and that, lord, is
the very truth."

Then Sir Tristram was very much disturbed in mind, for he feared that it
might have gone ill with Sir Lamorack. And he said, "Where now is that man
of whom ye speak?" The fisherman replied: "Lord, he was set to keep the
swine, and he is the swineherd of the castle to this day."

At this Sir Tristram was very glad that no more ill had befallen Sir
Lamorack, and that he was yet alive.

Then, after the fisherman had departed from that place, Sir Tristram sat
for a while sunk into deep thought. And he said to himself: "Alas, that so
noble a knight should be brought to such a pass as that! How greatly must
my friend be abased when he would not acknowledge himself t