"
They brought over the greater part of the barons and these pressed
King Mark to take to wife some king's daughter who should give him an
heir, or else they threatened to return each man into his keep and
wage him war. But the King turned against them and swore in his heart
that so long as his dear nephew lived no king's daughter should come
to his bed. Then in his turn did Tristan (in his shame to be thought
to serve for hire) threaten that if the King did not yield to his
barons, he would himself go over sea serve some great king. At this,
King Mark made a term with his barons and gave them forty days to hear
his decision.
On the appointed day he waited alone in his chamber and sadly mused:
"Where shall I find a king's daughter so fair and yet so distant that
I may feign to wish her my wife?"
Just then by his window that looked upon the sea two building swallows
came in quarrelling together. Then, startled, they flew out, but had
let fall from their beaks a woman's hair, long and fine, and shining
like a beam of light.
King Mark took it, and called his barons and Tristan and said:
"To please you, lords, I will take a wife; but you must seek her whom
I have chosen."
"Fair lord, we wish it all," they said, "and who may she be?"
"Why," said he, "she whose hair this is; nor will I take another.
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