stram stood with them in the chapel, he gave them hardly
any greeting, but said at once: "Messires, how doth it fare with the Lady
Belle Isoult?" For he thought of her the first of all and above all things
else.

To this Sir Santraille made reply: "Sir, the lady hath been shut into a
tower, and the door thereof hath been locked upon her, and she is a close
prisoner."

Then Sir Tristram said: "How many knights are there in the place who are my
friends, and who will stand with me to break out hence?" To this Gouvernail
said: "Lord, there are twelve besides ourselves, and that makes fourteen in
all who are with thee in this quarrel unto life or death."

Sir Tristram said: "Provide me presently with arms and armor and bring
those twelve hither armed at all points. But first let them saddle horses
for themselves and for us, and for the Lady Belle Isoult and for her
waiting-woman, Dame Bragwaine. When this is done, we will depart from this
place unto some other place of refuge, and I do not think there will be any
in the castle will dare stop or stay us after we are armed."

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram arms himself] So it was done as Sir Tristram
commanded, and when all those were gathered together, and their horses
ready, Sir Tristram and several of the knights of his party went openly to
that tower where the Lady Belle Isoult was prisoner. And they burst open
the doors and went in with torches, and found Belle Isoult and her
attendant in the upper part of the castle.

But when Belle Isoult beheld the face of Sir Tristram, she said: "Is it
thou, my love; and art thou still alive, and art thou come tome?" Sir
Tristram said: "Yea, I am still alive nor will I die, God willing, until I
have first brought thee out of this wicked castle and into some place of
safety. And never again will I entrust thee unto King Mark's hands; for I
have great fear that if he have thee in his hands he will work vengeance
upon thee so as to strike at my heart through thee. So, dear love, I come
to take thee away from this place; and never again right or wrong, shalt
thou be without the shelter of my arm."

Then the Lady Belle Isoult smiled very wonderfully upon Sir Tristram so
that her face appeared to shine with a great illumination of love. And she
said: "Tristram, I will go with thee whithersoever thou wilt. Yea, I would
go with thee even to the grave, for I believe that I should be happy even
there, so that thou wert lying beside me."

Then S