t the poor
and foolish without name or splendor or riches. And that, too, was a
wonderful story.

Now as the three went along the river-side they saw a girl on the other
side of the river and she was walking from the place towards which they
were going. The girl sang to herself as she went along, and the King's
Son and Fedelma and the Little Sage of the Mountain heard what she
sang,--

A berry, a berry, a red rowan berry,
A red rowan berry brought mc beauty and love.

But drops of my heart's blood, drops of my heart's blood,
Seven drops of my heart's blood I have given away.

Seven wild geese were men, seven wild geese were men,
Seven drops of my heart's blood are there for your spell.

A kiss for my love, a kiss for my love,
May his kiss go to none till he meet me again.

If to one go his kiss, if to one go his kiss,
He may meet, he may meet, and not know me again.

The girl on the other bank of the river passed on, and the King's Son
and Fedelma with the Little Sage of the Mountain came to the meadow
where the horse was. A heavy, slow-moving horse he seemed. But when they
mounted him they found he had the three qualities of Finn's steeds--a
quick rush against a hill, the gait of a fox, easy and proud, on the
level ground, and the jump of a deer over harriers. They left health and
good luck with the Little Sage of the Mountain, and on the horse he gave
them they rode on to the Spae-Woman's house.

II

When Fedelma and the King of Ireland's Son came to the Spae-Woman's
house, who was the first person they saw there but Gilveen, Fedelma's
sister! She came to where they reined their horse and smiled in the
faces of her sister and the King of Ireland's Son. And she it was who
gave them their first welcome. "And you will be asking how I came here,"
said Gilveen, "and I will tell you without wasting candle-light. Myself
and sister Aefa went to the court of the King of Ireland after you, my
sister, had gone from us with the lucky man of your choice. And as for
Aefa, she has been lucky too in finding a match and she is now married
to Maravaun the King's Councillor. I have been with Caintigern the
Queen. And now the Queen is in the house of the Spae-Woman with the
youth Flann and she is longing to give the clasp of welcome to both of
you. And if you sit beside me on this grassy ditch I will tell you the
whole story from the first to the last syllable."

They sat together, and