But when Belle Isoult beheld the face of Sir Tristram, she said: "Is it
thou, my love; and art thou still alive, and art thou come tome?" Sir
Tristram said: "Yea, I am still alive nor will I die, God willing, until I
have first brought thee out of this wicked castle and into some place of
safety. And never again will I entrust thee unto King Mark's hands; for I
have great fear that if he have thee in his hands he will work vengeance
upon thee so as to strike at my heart through thee. So, dear love, I come
to take thee away from this place; and never again right or wrong, shalt
thou be without the shelter of my arm."
Then the Lady Belle Isoult smiled very wonderfully upon Sir Tristram so
that her face appeared to shine with a great illumination of love. And she
said: "Tristram, I will go with thee whithersoever thou wilt. Yea, I would
go with thee even to the grave, for I believe that I should be happy even
there, so that thou wert lying beside me."
Then Sir Tristram groaned in spirit and he said: "Isoult, what have I done,
that I should always bring unhappiness upon thee?" But the Lady Belle
Isoult spake very steadily, saying: "Never unhappiness, Tristram, but
always happiness; for I have thy love for aye, and thou hast mine in the
same measure, and in that is happiness, even in tears and sorrow, and never
unhappiness.
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