And when he had come there he perceived a great glaive
upon a pole two ells long. This he took into his hand and returned unto
that curtained doorway again.
Then being in all ways prepared he parted the curtains silently and stepped
very quickly and without noise into the room. And the back of Sir Tristram
was toward him.
Then King Mark lifted the glaive on high and he struck; and Sir Tristram
sank without a sound.
Yea, I believe that that good knight knew naught of what had happened until
he awoke in Paradise to find himself in that realm of happiness and peace.
[Sidenote: Of the passing of Tristram and Isoult] Then Belle Isoult arose,
overturning the table of chessmen as she did so, but she made no outcry nor
sound of any sort. But she stood looking down at Sir Tristram for a little
space, and then she kneeled down beside his body and touched the face
thereof as though to make sure that it was dead. Therewith, as though being
assured, she fell down with her body upon his; and King Mark stood there
looking down upon them.
All this had passed so quickly that Dame Bragwaine hardly knew what had
befallen; but now, upon an instant, she suddenly fell to shrieking so
piercingly that the whole castle rang with the sound thereof.
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