So by and by he came to where the Lady Belle Isoult
was, and it was a great chamber in a certain tower of the castle and high
up Under the eaves of the roof.
[Sidenote: How Lady Belle Isoult appeared to Sir Tristram] The Lady Belle
Isoult stood upon the farther side of this chamber so that the light from
the windows shone full upon her face, and Sir Tristram perceived that she
was extraordinarily beautiful, and rather like to a shining spirit than to
a lady of flesh and blood. For she was clad altogether in white and her
face was like to wax for whiteness and clearness, and she wore ornaments of
gold set with shining stones of divers colors about her neck and about her
arms so that they glistered with a wonderful lustre. Her eyes shone very
bright and clear like one with a fever, and Sir Tristram beheld that there
were channels of tears upon her face and several tears stood upon her white
cheeks like to shining jewels hanging suspended there.
So, for a while, Sir Tristram stood still without speaking and regarded her
from afar. Then after a while she spake and said, "Sir, what is this you
have done?" "Lady," he said, "I have done what God set me to do, though I
would rather die than do it.
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