the murderess bound to the stake,
while fagots were heaped about her drooping form.

The flames were already kindled, and were crawling like deadly serpents
through the dry wood, but before they could reach the condemned queen
young Tristram kneeled before his father and begged him a boon.

"You shall have it, my son. What would you ask?"

"Grant me the life of the queen. I cannot bear to see her die so
terrible a death."

"Ask not that," said the king. "You should hate her who would have
poisoned you. I have condemned her more for your sake than my own."

"Yet I beseech you to be merciful to her. I have forgiven her, and pray
God to do so. You granted me my boon for God's love, and I hold you to
your promise."

"If you will have it so, I cannot withdraw my word," said the king. "I
give her to you. Go to the fire and take her, and do with her what you
will."

This gladdened the boy's heart, which had been full of horror at the
dreadful spectacle, and he hastened to release the victim from the
flames.

But after that Meliodas would have nothing to do with her until after
years had passed, when Tristram reconciled them with each other. And he
sent his son from the court, being afraid the pardoned murderess might
devise some new scheme for his destruction. The noble-hearted lad was
therefore given as tutor a learned gentleman named Gouvernail, who took
him to France, that he might learn the language and be taught the use of
arms. There he remained seven years, learning not only the language,
but the art of minstrelsy, till he became so skilful that few could
equal him in the use of the harp and other instruments of music. And as
he grew older he practised much in hunting and hawking, and in time
became famous also for his skill in this noble art. He in after-life
devised many terms used in hunting, and bugle calls of the chase, so
that from him the book of venery, or of hunting and hawking, came to be
called the "Book of Sir Tristram."

Thus Tristram grew in accomplishments and nobleness till he attained the
age of nineteen years, when he had become a youth of handsome face and
powerful form, being large of size and vigorous of limb. The king, his
father, had great joy in his promise of lusty manhood, and so had the
queen, whose heart had been won to Tristram when he saved her from the
flames, and who loved him ever afterwards as much as she had hated him
in his childhood. Every one loved him, indeed, for he pr