But she
hid it all; and when the doors were open again she came to Tristan's
bed and served him with food as a lover should, and spoke him gently
and kissed him on the lips, and asked him if Kaherdin would soon
return with one to cure him ... but all day long she thought upon her
vengeance.
And Kaherdin sailed and sailed till he dropped anchor in the haven of
Tintagel. He landed and took with him a cloth of rare dye and a cup
well chiselled and worked, and made a present of them to King Mark,
and courteously begged of him his peace and safeguard that he might
traffick in his land; and the King gave him his peace before all the
men of his palace.
Then Kaherdin offered the Queen a buckle of fine gold; and "Queen,"
said he, "the gold is good."
Then taking from his finger Tristan's ring, he put it side by side
with the jewel and said:
"See, O Queen, the gold of the buckle is the finer gold; yet that ring
also has its worth."
When Iseult saw what ring that was, her heart trembled and her colour
changed, and fearing what might next be said she drew Kaherdin apart
near a window, as if to see and bargain the better; and Kaherdin said
to her, low down:
"Lady, Tristan is wounded of a poisoned spear and is about to die. He
sends you word that you alone can bring him comfort, and recalls to
you the great sorrows that you bore together.
Pages:
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108