their couches and their
huts, then indeed she will know the wrong she has done, and bitterly
desire even that great flame of thorns."

And as the King heard them, he stood a long time without moving; then
he ran to the Queen and seized her by the hand, and she cried:

"Burn me! rather burn me!"

But the King gave her up, and Ivan took her, and the hundred lepers
pressed around, and to hear her cries all the crowd rose in pity. But
Ivan had an evil gladness, and as he went he dragged her out of the
borough bounds, with his hideous company.

Now they took that road where Tristan lay in hiding, and Gorvenal said
to him:

"Son, here is your friend. Will you do naught?"

Then Tristan mounted the horse and spurred it out of the bush, and
cried:

"Ivan, you have been at the Queen's side a moment, and too long. Now
leave her if you would live."

But Ivan threw his cloak away and shouted:

"Your clubs, comrades, and your staves! Crutches in the air--for a
fight is on!"

Then it was fine to see the lepers throwing their capes aside, and
stirring their sick legs, and brandishing their crutches, some
threatening: groaning all; but to strike them Tristan was too noble.
There are singers who sing that Tristan killed Ivan, but it is a lie.
Too much a knight was he to kill such things. Gorvenal indeed,
snatching up an oak sapling, crashed it on Ivan's head till his blood
ran down to his misshapen feet. Then Tristan took the Queen.

Henceforth near him she felt no further evil. He cut the cords that
bound her arms so straightly, and he left the plain so that they
plunged into the wood of Morois; and there in the thick wood Tristan
was as sure as in a castle keep.

And as the sun fell they halted all three at the foot of a little
hill: fear had wearied the Queen, and she leant her head upon his body
and slept.

But in the morning, Gorvenal stole from a wood man his bow and two
good arrows plumed and barbed, and gave them to Tristan, the great
archer, and he shot him a fawn and killed it. Then Gorvenal gathered
dry twigs, struck flint, and lit a great fire to cook the venison. And
Tristan cut him branches and made a hut and garnished it with leaves.
And Iseult slept upon the thick leaves there.

So, in the depths of the wild wood began for the lovers that savage
life which yet they loved very soon.

PART THE SECOND

THE WOOD OF MOROIS

They wandered in the depths of the wild wood, restless and in haste
like beast