er thoughts. His wife marked that, and sought to know the
reason, but Flahari put her off. At last when she continually pressed
him to reveal the cause of his trouble, he said "If them must needs
learn what ails me, and if thou canst keep a secret full of danger to
me and thee, know that I am gloomy and distraught because I have
killed the son of Cormac." At this the woman cried out, "Murderer
parricide, hast thou spilled the King's blood, and shall Cormac not
know it, and do justice on thee?" And she sent word to Cormac that he
should come and seize her husband for that crime.

But before the officers came, Flahari took a young man, the son of his
butler, and placed him in charge of his lands to manage them, while
Flahari was away for his trial at Tara. And he also gave to his sister
a treasure of gold and silver to keep for him, lest it should be made
a spoil of while he was absent. Then he went with the officers to
Tara, denying his offence and his confession, but when Cormac had
heard all, and the child could not be found, he sentenced him to be
put to death.

Flahari then sent a messenger to his sister, begging her to send him
at once a portion of the treasure he had left with her, that he might
use it to make himself friends among the folk at court, and perchance
obtain a remission of his sentence; but she sent the messenger back
again empty, saying she knew not of what he spoke.

On this Flahari deemed that the time was come to reveal the truth, so
he obtained permission from the King to send a message to his
swineherd before he died, and to hear the man's reply. And the message
was this, that Murtach the herd should come without delay to Tara and
bring with him the child that Flahari had committed to him. Howbeit
this messenger also came back empty, and reported that on reaching Dun
Flahari he had been met by the butler's son that was over the estate,
who had questioned him of his errand, and had then said, "Murtach the
serf has run away as soon as he heard of his lord's downfall, and if
he had any child in his care he has taken it away with him, and he
cannot be found." This he said because, on hearing of the child, he
guessed what this might mean, and he had been the bitterest of all in
urging Flahari's death, hoping to be rewarded with a share of his
lands.

Then Flahari said to himself, "Truly the proving of my father's wisdom
of life has brought me very near to death." So he sent for the King
and entre