ng. He has eyes of the darkest blue of the sky, and
head and shoulders is he above all the men of Erin."

"And what will be the name of that man, Lavarcam?" asked Deirdre. "And
whence is he, and what his degree?"

And Lavarcam made answer that he of whom she spoke was Naoise, one of
the three sons of Usna, a great lord of Alba, and that these three
sons were mighty champions who had been trained at the famed military
school at Sgathaig[14] in the Isle of Skye.

Then said Deirdre: "My love shall be given to none but Naoise, son of
Usna. To him shall it belong forever."

From that day forward, Naoise held kingship over the thoughts and
dreams of Deirdre.

And when Lavarcam saw how deep her careless words had sunk into the
heart of the maiden, she grew afraid, and tried to think of a means by
which to undo the harm which, in her thoughtlessness, she had wrought.

Now Conor had made a law that none but Cathbad, Lavarcam, and the
nurse of Deirdre should pass through the forest that led to her
hiding-place, and that none but they should look upon her until his
own eyes beheld her and he took her for his wife. But as Lavarcam one
day came from seeing Deirdre, and from listening to her many eager
questions about Naoise, she met a swineherd, rough in looks and
speech, and clad in the pelt of a deer, and with him two rough
fellows, bondmen of the Ultonians, and to her quick mind there came a
plan. Thus she bade them follow her into the forbidden forest and
there to remain, by the side of a well, until they should hear the
bark of a fox and the cry of a jay. Then they were to walk slowly on
through the woods, speaking to none whom they might meet, and still
keeping silence when they were again out of the shadow of the trees.

Then Lavarcam sped back to Deirdre and begged her to come with her to
enjoy the beauty of the woods. In a little, Lavarcam strayed away from
her charge, and soon the cry of a jay and the bark of a fox were
heard, and while Deirdre still marvelled at the sounds that came so
close together, Lavarcam returned. Nor had she been back a minute
before three men came through the trees and slowly walked past, close
to where Lavarcam and Deirdre were hidden.

"I have never seen men so near before," said Deirdre. "Only from the
outskirts of the forest have I seen them very far away. Who are these
men, who bring no joy to my eyes?"

And Lavarcam made answer: "These are Naoise, Ardan, and Ainle--the
three sons