[Sidenote:  Sir Marhaus leaves the field] Then Sir Marhaus was aware that he had got his death-wound, wherefore a certain strength came to him so that he rose to his feet staggering like a drunken man.  And at first he began going about in a circle and crying most dolorously.  Then as he wist all that had happed he threw away his sword and his shield, and made away from that place, staggering and stumbling like one who had gone blind; for he was all bewildered with that mortal wound, and wist not very well what he was doing or whither he was going.  Then Sir Tristram would have made after him to stop him, but he could not do so because he himself was so sorely wounded and so weak from the loss of blood.  Yet he called after Sir Marhaus:  “Stay, stay, Sir Knight!  Let us finish this battle now we are about it!” But to this Sir Marhaus made no answer, but went on down to his ships, staggering and stumbling like a blind man as aforesaid, for the sore wound which he had received still lent him a false strength of body so that he was able to go his way.  Then those who were aboard the ships, beholding him thus coming staggering toward them, came down and met him and lifted him up and bore him away to his own ship.  Thereafter, as soon as might be they hoisted sail and lifted anchor and took their way from that place.

Then by and by came Gouvernail and several others of Sir Tristram’s party to where Sir Tristram was; and there they found him leaning upon his sword and groaning very sorely because of the great wound in his side.  So presently they perceived that he could not walk, wherefore they lifted him up upon his own shield and bore him thence to that ship that had brought him thither.

And when they had come to the ship they laid him down upon a couch and stripped him of his armor to search his wounds.  Then they beheld what a great wound it was that Sir Marhaus had given him in the side, and they lifted up their voices in sorrow, for they all believed that he would die.

[Sidenote:  Sir Tristam returns to Cornwall] So they set sail, and in two days brought him back to King Mark, where he sat at Tintagel in Cornwall.  And when King Mark saw how pale and wan and weak Sir Tristram was, he wept and grieved very sorely for sorrow of that sight, for he too thought that Sir Tristram was certainly about to die.

But Sir Tristram smiled upon King Mark, and he said:  “Lord, have I done well for thy sake?” And King Mark said, “Yea,” and fell to weeping again.

[Sidenote:  Sir Tristram proclaims himself to King Mark] “Then,” quoth Tristram, “it is time for me to tell thee who I am who have saved thy kingdom from the shame of having to pay truage to Ireland, and that I am thine own sister’s son.  For my father is King Meliadus of Lyonesse, and my mother was the Lady Elizabeth, who was thine own sister till God took her soul to Paradise to dwell there with His angels.”

But when King Mark heard this he went forth from that place and into his own chamber.  And when he had come there he fell down upon his knees and cried out aloud:  “Alas, alas, that this should be!  Rather, God, would I lose my entire kingdom than that my sister’s son should come to his death in this wise!”