me,” said the lady, who was none other than the Lady of the Lake herself, and ever mindful of the welfare of King Arthur.  So he rode after her till he came to a castle, and in front of it he saw two knights who beset at once another knight, and when Sir Tristram came to the spot, the two had borne King Arthur to the ground and were about to cut off his head.  Then Sir Tristram called to them to leave their traitor’s work and look to themselves; with the word, one he pierced through with his spear and the other he cut down, and setting King Arthur again upon his horse, he rode with him until they met with certain of Arthur’s knights.  But when King Arthur would know his name, Tristram would give none, but said only that he was a poor errant knight; and so they parted.

But Arthur, when he was come back to Camelot, sent for Sir Launcelot and other of his knights, bidding them seek for such an one as was Sir Tristram and bring him to the court.  So they departed, each his own way, and searched for many days, but in vain.  Then it chanced, at last, as Sir Launcelot rode on his way, he espied Sir Tristram resting beside a tomb; and, as was the custom of knights errant, he called upon him to joust.  So the two ran together and each broke his spear.  Then they sprang to the ground and fought with their swords, and each thought that never had he encountered so stout or so skilled a knight.  So fiercely they fought that, perforce, at last they must rest.  Then said Sir Launcelot:  “Fair Knight, I pray you tell me your name, for never have I met so good a knight.”  “In truth,” said Sir Tristram, “I am loth to tell my name.”  “I marvel at that,” said Sir Launcelot; “for mine I will tell you freely.  I am Launcelot du Lac.”  Then was Sir Tristram filled at once with joy and with sorrow; with joy that at last he had encountered the noblest knight of the Round Table, with sorrow that he had done him such hurt, and without more ado he revealed his name.  Now Sir Launcelot, who ever delighted in the fame of another, had long desired to meet Sir Tristram de Liones, and rejoicing to have found him, he knelt right courteously and proffered him his sword, as if he would yield to him.  But Tristram would not have it so, declaring that, rather, he should yield to Sir Launcelot.  So they embraced right heartily, and when Sir Launcelot questioned him, Sir Tristram acknowledged that it was he who had come to King Arthur’s aid.  Together, then, they rode to Camelot, and there Sir Tristram was received with great honour by King Arthur, who made him Knight of the Round Table.

Presently, to Tristram at Camelot, there came word that King Mark had driven the Fair Isolt from court, and compelled her to have her dwelling in a hut set apart for lepers.  Then Sir Tristram was wroth indeed, and mounting his horse, rode forth that same hour, and rested not till he had found the lepers’ hut, whence he bore the Queen to the castle known as the Joyous Garde; and there he held her, in safety and honour, in spite of all that King Mark could do.  And all men honoured Sir Tristram, and felt sorrow for the Fair Isolt; while as for King Mark, they scorned him even more than before.