rom her
brother's skull; and bringing it back fitted it to the broken blade
exactly.

At that her anger knew no bounds, nor her mortification that they should
have treated so well, and grown to love, the slayer of her brother.
Sir Tristram happening to return at that moment, her anger so overmastered
her that, seizing the sword, she rushed on him and would have slain him
there and then, had not Gouvernail caught her and wrested the weapon from
her.

Being frustrated she ran in a frenzy of hate to her husband. "My lord,"
she cried, "we have here, in our very home, the destroyer and slayer of my
brother, your most noble and trusty knight."

"Who is he?" cried King Anguish, springing to his feet, "and where?"

"Sir, it is this same knight whom your daughter has healed, and whom we
have loved and treated well. I beseech you have no mercy on him, for he
deserves none."

"Alas, alas," cried the king, "I am right sorry, for he is as noble a
knight as ever I saw. Do him no violence. Leave him to me, and I will
deal with him according to my best judgment."

So the king, who loved Sir Tristram, and could not bring himself to have
him slain, went to Tristram's chamber, and there he saw him dressed, and
ready to mount his horse. Then and there the king told him all that he
had learnt, and said, "I love you too well to do you harm, therefore I
give you leave to quit this court on one condition, that you tell me your
real name, and if you really slew my brother-in-law, Sir Marhaus."

So Tristram told him all his story, and then took leave of the king and
all the court; and great was the grief at his departure, but by far the
saddest leave-taking was that between him and La Belle Iseult, for they
loved each other very dearly. And when they parted Sir Tristram swore to
be ever her true and faithful knight, and she, that for seven years she
would marry no one else, unless by his consent or desire. Then each gave
the other a ring, and with a last long kiss they parted.

So Sir Tristram returned at last to Cornwall, and there stayed with his
uncle Mark, at Tintagel, and great were the rejoicings that he had
returned recovered of his wound, and stronger and more noble-looking than
ever.

When, though, he had been back a little time, a great quarrel arose
between King Mark and his nephew, and their feelings grew very hot and
angry towards one another. It was about a beautiful lady that they
quarrelled, a lady whom King Ma