ad heard every word, and who had so loved Tristan,
waited her vengeance upon what she loved most in the world. But she
hid it all; and when the doors were open again she came to Tristan's
bed and served him with food as a lover should, and spoke him gently
and kissed him on the lips, and asked him if Kaherdin would soon
return with one to cure him ... but all day long she thought upon her
vengeance.

And Kaherdin sailed and sailed till he dropped anchor in the haven of
Tintagel. He landed and took with him a cloth of rare dye and a cup
well chiselled and worked, and made a present of them to King Mark,
and courteously begged of him his peace and safeguard that he might
traffick in his land; and the King gave him his peace before all the
men of his palace.

Then Kaherdin offered the Queen a buckle of fine gold; and "Queen,"
said he, "the gold is good."

Then taking from his finger Tristan's ring, he put it side by side
with the jewel and said:

"See, O Queen, the gold of the buckle is the finer gold; yet that ring
also has its worth."

When Iseult saw what ring that was, her heart trembled and her colour
changed, and fearing what might next be said she drew Kaherdin apart
near a window, as if to see and bargain the better; and Kaherdin said
to her, low down:

"Lady, Tristan is wounded of a poisoned spear and is about to die. He
sends you word that you alone can bring him comfort, and recalls to
you the great sorrows that you bore together. Keep you the ring--it is
yours."

But Iseult answered, weakening:

"Friend, I will follow you; get ready your ship to-morrow at dawn."

And on the morrow at dawn they raised anchor, stepped mast, and
hoisted sail, and happily the barque left land.

But at Carhaix Tristan lay and longed for Iseult's coming. Nothing now
filled him any more, and if he lived it was only as awaiting her; and
day by day he sent watchers to the shore to see if some ship came, and
to learn the colour of her sail. There was no other thing left in his
heart.

He had himself carried to the cliff of the Penmarks, where it
overlooks the sea, and all the daylight long he gazed far off over the
water.

Hear now a tale most sad and pitiful to all who love. Already was
Iseult near; already the cliff of the Penmarks showed far away, and
the ship ran heartily, when a storm wind rose on a sudden and grew,
and struck the sail, and turned the ship all round about, and the
sailors bore away and sore against