“Sir,” said the Lady Belle Isoult, “you are not to forget that there is still another day of this battle, and in it you may not happen to have the same fortune that favored you to-day; so I will wait until you have won that battle also before I answer you.”

“Well,” said Sir Palamydes, “you shall see that I shall do even more worthily to-morrow for your sake than I have done to-day.”

But the Lady Belle Isoult was not very well pleased with that saying, for she began again to fear that maybe the will of Sir Palamydes was so strong that Sir Tristram would not have any success against him.

So came the third day of that very famous contest at arms, and when this morning was come there began to gather together in the two parties those who were to contest the one against the other.  Of one of these parties, Sir Palamydes was the chiefest knight, and upon that side was also Sir Gawaine and several of the knights who were with him.  For these said, “There shall certes be greater credit to be had with Sir Palamydes than against him,” and so they joined them with his party.  Of the other party the chiefest knights were the King of an Hundred Knights and the King of Scots, and both of these were very famous and well-approved champions, of high courage and remarkable achievements.

[Sidenote:  Belle Isoult arms Sir Tristram] Now when the time was nigh ready for that tournament, Sir Tristram went to put on the armor that the Lady Belle Isoult had provided him, and when he was armed he mounted very lightly upon the horse which she had given him.  And the armor of Sir Tristram was white, shining like to silver, and the horse was altogether white, and the furniture and trappings thereof were all white, so that Sir Tristram glistened with extraordinary splendor.

Now when he was armed and prepared in all ways, the Lady Belle Isoult came to where he was and she said, “Tramtris, are you ready?” And he answered “Yea.”  Therewith she took the horse of Sir Tristram by the bridle and she led him to the postern gate of the castle, and put him out that way into a fair field that lay beyond; and Sir Tristram abided in the fields for some while until the tournament should have begun.

But the Lady Belle Isoult went to the tournament with her father, the King, and her mother, the Queen, and took her station at that place assigned to her whence she might overlook the field.

[Sidenote:  How Sir Palamydes fought in the tournament] So in a little while that friendly battle began.  And again Sir Palamydes was filled with the vehement fury of contest, wherefore he raged about the field, spreading terror whithersoever he came.  For first he made at the King of an Hundred Knights, and he struck that knight so direful a blow that both horse and man fell to the ground with the force thereof.  Then in the same manner he struck the King of Scots with his sword, and smote him straightway out of the saddle also.  Then he struck down one after another, seven other knights, all of well-proved strength and prowess, so that all those who looked thereon cried out, “Is he a man or is he a demon?” So, because of the terror of Sir Palamydes, all those in that contest bore away from him as they might do from a lion in anger.