der a roof again until she be avenged."

There was a poor man of the common folk that had seen Tristan's fall,
and had seen him stumble and rise after, and he crept to Tintagel and
to Iseult where she was bound, and said:

"Queen, weep no more. Your friend has fled safely."

"Then I thank God," said she, "and whether they bind or loose me, and
whether they kill or spare me, I care but little now."

And though blood came at the cord-knots, so tightly had the traitors
bound her, yet still she said, smiling:

"Did I weep for that when God has loosed my friend I should be little
worth."

When the news came to the King that Tristan had leapt that leap and
was lost he paled with anger, and bade his men bring forth Iseult.

They dragged her from the room, and she came before the crowd, held by
her delicate hands, from which blood dropped, and the crowd called:

"Have pity on her--the loyal Queen and honoured! Surely they that gave
her up brought mourning on us all--our curses on them!"

But the King's men dragged her to the thorn faggot as it blazed. She
stood up before the flame, and the crowd cried its anger, and cursed
the traitors and the King. None could see her without pity, unless he
had a felon's heart: she was so tightly bound. The tears ran down her
face and fell upon her grey gown where ran a little thread of gold,
and a thread of gold was twined into her hair.

Just then there had come up a hundred lepers of the King's, deformed
and broken, white horribly, and limping on their crutches. And they
drew near the flame, and being evil, loved the sight. And their chief
Ivan, the ugliest of them all, cried to the King in a quavering voice:

"O King, you would burn this woman in that flame, and it is sound
justice, but too swift, for very soon the fire will fall, and her
ashes will very soon be scattered by the high wind and her agony be
done. Throw her rather to your lepers where she may drag out a life
for ever asking death."

And the King answered:

"Yes; let her live that life, for it is better justice and more
terrible. I can love those that gave me such a thought."

And the lepers answered:

"Throw her among us, and make her one of us. Never shall lady have
known a worse end. And look," they said, "at our rags and our
abominations. She has had pleasure in rich stuffs and furs, jewels and
walls of marble, honour, good wines and joy, but when she sees your
lepers always, King, and only them for ever,