ught the lady to win her love. But ladies are
not to be won thus, and Iseult did not love the Saracen knight.
Indeed, she besought Sir Tristram to joust with him and conquer him, that
she might be rid of him, both of which Sir Tristram did, though Sir
Palamides had put to the worse many brave knights before, and most men
were afraid of him. Sir Tristram, whom Iseult had arrayed in white
harness, rode against him on a white horse and threw him, and Sir
Palamides was sore ashamed and would have crept secretly from the field,
and from the crowds of knights and ladies watching the jousts, had not Sir
Tristram gone after him and bid him return and finish the joust.
So Palamides returned and fought again, but once more Sir Tristram
overthrew him, and this time wounded him so sore that he was at his mercy.

"Now," said Sir Tristram, "swear to me that you will do as I command, or I
will slay you outright." Sir Palamides seeing his stern face, and
remembering his strength, promised. "Then," said Sir Tristram,
"promise never more to come near the lady La Belle Iseult, also that for a
twelvemonth and a day you will bear no armour, nor wear any harness of
war."

"Alas," cried Sir Palamides, "I shall be for ever ashamed and disgraced,"
but he had to promise, and in fierce vexation he cut to pieces the harness
he then wore, and threw the pieces from him. No one but La Belle Iseult
knew who the knight was who had jousted with the Saracen, until some time
after; and when it was known, Sir Tristram was loved more than ever by the
king and queen, as he was already by their daughter.

So month after month Sir Tristram lingered on in Ireland, and did many a
noble deed during that time, and there he might have gone on living to the
end of the chapter, if it had not been for a sore mischance which befell
thus.

One day, while Sir Tristram was absent, the queen and the lady Iseult were
wandering up and down his room, when the queen suddenly espied Sir
Tristram's sword lying on a couch, and seeing it to be of fine workmanship
and delicately wrought, she lifted it the better to examine it, and she
and Iseult stood admiring it together. Then presently the queen drew the
sword slowly from out its scabbard, and there, within an inch and a half
of the point, she espied the broken edge of the blade.

Thrusting the weapon into Iseult's hands she ran to her chamber, where she
had, safely locked away, the piece of steel which had been taken f