and she beheld what a fair, bright, glistering sword it was.  Then in a little she saw where, within about a foot and a half from the point, there was a great piece in the shape of a half-moon broken out of the edge of the sword; and she looked at that place for a long while.  Then of a sudden she felt a great terror, for she remembered how even such a piece of sword as that which had been broken off from that blade, she had found in the wound of Sir Marhaus of which he had died.  So she stood for a while holding that sword of Sir Tristram in her hand and looking as she had been turned into stone.  At this the Lady Belle Isoult was filled with a sort of fear, wherefore she said, “Lady, what ails you?” The Queen said, “Nothing that matters,” and therewith she laid aside the sword of Sir Tristram and went very quickly to her own chamber.  There she opened her cabinet and took thence the piece of sword-blade which she had drawn from the wound of Sir Marhaus, and which she had kept ever since.  With this she hurried back to the chamber of Sir Tristram, and fitted that piece of the blade to the blade; and lo! it fitted exactly, and without flaw.

[Sidenote:  The Queen assails Sir Tristram] Upon that the Queen was seized as with a sudden madness; for she shrieked out in a very loud voice, “Traitor!  Traitor!  Traitor!” saying that word three times.  Therewith she snatched up the sword of Sir Tristram and she ran with great fury into the room where he lay in his bath.  And she beheld him where he was there all naked in his bath, and therewith she rushed at him and lashed at him with his sword.  But Sir Tristram threw himself to one side and so that blow failed of its purpose.  Then the Queen would have lashed at him again or have thrust him through with the weapon; but at that Gouvernail and Sir Helles ran to her and catched her and held her back, struggling and screaming very violently.  So they took the sword away from her out of her hands, and all the while she shrieked like one gone entirely distracted.

Then as soon as Gouvernail and Sir Helles loosed her, she ran very violently out of that room with great outcry of screaming, and so to King Angus and flung herself upon her knees before him, crying out:  “Justice!  Justice!  I have found that man who slew my brother!  I beseech of you that you will deal justice upon him.”

Then King Angus rose from where he sat, and he said:  “Where is that man?  Bring me to him.”  And the Queen said:  “It is Tramtris, who hath come hither unknown unto this place.”

King Angus said:  “Lady, what is this you tell me?  I cannot believe that what you say is true.”  Upon this the Queen cried out:  “Go yourself, Lord, and inquire, and find out how true it is.”

Then King Angus rose, and went forth from that place, and he went to the chamber of Sir Tristram.  And there he found that Sir Tristram had very hastily dressed himself and had armed himself in such wise as he was able.  Then King Angus came to Tristram, and he said:  “How is this, that I find thee armed?  Art thou an enemy to my house?” And Tristram wept, and said:  “Nay, Lord, I am not your enemy, but your friend, for I have great love for you and for all that is yours, so that I would be very willing to do battle for you even unto death if so be I were called upon to do so.”