3d BARON.
God forbid!

4TH BARON.
Yet if
Lord Tristram should do this and break the bond,
And thus endanger both his life and Queen Iseult's--

5TH BARON.
If such the case they lied to thee,
King Mark, and unto God!

MARK.
They lied! They lied!
Ay, man, they lied to me and unto God!
And now I need no longer feel my way
Nor tap about me in the dark, nor bump
My soul against my blindness! Ay, they lied!
My bed was foul; my life a jest for knaves,
For they had lied. But then, behold, that man
There came,--Denovalin I hate thee!--came
And said Lord Tristram broke the bond--

[The Barons spring up.]

1ST BARON.
How so?

2D BARON.
What knows he?

3D BARON.
Speak, Denovalin!

GANELUN.
Thou say'st
Lord Tristram broke the bond that holds his life?

5TH BARON.
I'll not believe it!

4TH BARON.
Tristram wed, ye know,
The daughter of King Kark of Arundland.

3D BARON.
Denovalin must bring us proofs!

MARK.
Gently,
My Lords. Before the high tribunal shall
He speak. Go, call the Queen.

[The man-at-arms goes.]

DINAS.
King Mark,
Why dost thou hasten to believe this tale?
Remember, 'tis Denovalin who speaks.

MARK.
'Tis not a matter of belief, my friend,
I wish to know if for her sake he came;
To see her once again--no more. The rest
I know, and I know, too, the end of this;
This game that's played about my life, my blood.
Mine honor!

SCENE III

The guardsman announces the queen who enters the hall followed by
PARANIS. She remains in the background. The barons rise as she appears.

GUARDSMAN.
Place! Iseult the queen comes! Place!

ISEULT (quietly and gently).
Ye called me, sirs; now speak, for I am here.

MARK (takes an angry step toward her, checks himself, and stares at her
a moment. He speaks slowly and Without moving).

Lord Dinas, bid Iseult of Ireland draw near!

[ISEULT, without waiting for DINAS, steps
to the middle of the hall.