“Lord,” said they, “Drive you Tristan forth.  He loves the Queen as all who choose can see, but as for us we will bear it no longer.”

And the King sighed, looking down in silence.

" King,” they went on, “we will not bear it, for we know now that this is known to you and that yet you will not move.  Parley you, and take counsel.  As for us if you will not exile this man, your nephew, and drive him forth out of your land forever, we will withdraw within our Bailiwicks and take our neighbours also from your court:  for we cannot endure his presence longer in this place.  Such is your balance:  choose.”

“My lords,” said he, “once I hearkened to the evil words you spoke of Tristan, yet was I wrong in the end.  But you are my lieges and I would not lose the service of my men.  Counsel me therefore, I charge you, you that owe me counsel.  You know me for a man neither proud nor overstepping.”

“Lord,” said they, “call then Frocin hither.  You mistrust him for that orchard night.  Still, was it not he that read in the stars of the Queen’s coming there and to the very pine-tree too?  He is very wise, take counsel of him.”

And he came, did that hunchback of Hell:  the felons greeted him and he planned this evil.

“Sire,” said he, “let your nephew ride hard to-morrow at dawn with a brief drawn up on parchment and well sealed with a seal:  bid him ride to King Arthur at Carduel.  Sire, he sleeps with the peers in your chamber; go you out when the first sleep falls on men, and if he love Iseult so madly, why, then I swear by God and by the laws of Rome, he will try to speak with her before he rides.  But if he do so unknown to you or to me, then slay me.  As for the trap, let me lay it, but do you say nothing of his ride to him until the time for sleep.”

And when King Mark had agreed, this dwarf did a vile thing.  He bought of a baker four farthings’ worth of flour, and hid it in the turn of his coat.  That night, when the King had supped and the men-at-arms lay down to sleep in hall, Tristan came to the King as custom was, and the King said: 

“Fair nephew, do my will:  ride to-morrow night to King Arthur at Carduel, and give him this brief, with my greeting, that he may open it:  and stay you with him but one day.”

And when Tristan said:  “I will take it on the morrow;”

The King added:  “Aye, and before day dawn.”

But, as the peers slept all round the King their lord, that night, a mad thought took Tristan that, before he rode, he knew not for how long, before dawn he would say a last word to the Queen.  And there was a spear length in the darkness between them.  Now the dwarf slept with the rest in the King’s chamber, and when he thought that all slept he rose and scattered the flour silently in the spear length that lay between Tristan and the Queen; but Tristan watched and saw him, and said to himself: 

“It is to mark my footsteps, but there shall be no marks to show.”