His
side and put his finger in the prints of the nails before he would
believe. And not less than men do women enter the heavenly kingdom.
Why then shouldst thou drive my little child and me from thy hermitage?"

Then Kenach, who had heard all that was said, came forth from the cave,
and blessed the woman. "Well hast thou spoken, O daughter; come, and
bring the small child with thee." And, turning to the young monk, he
said, "O soul, O son, O Diarmait, did not God send His Angel out of
high heaven to shelter the mother bird? And was not that, too, a
little woman in feathers? But now hasten, and gather wood and leaves,
and strike fire from the flint, and make a hearth before the cave, that
the woman may rest and the boy have the comfort of the bright flame."

This was soon done, and by the fire sat the woman eating a little
barley bread; but the child, who had no will to eat came round to the
old man, and held out two soft hands to him. And the Abbot caught him
up from the ground to his breast, and kissed his golden head, saying,
"God bless thee sweet little son, and give thee a good life and a
happy, and strength of thy small body, and, if it be His holy will,
length of glad days; and ever mayest thou be a gladness and deep joy to
thy mother."

Then, seeing that the woman was strangely clad in an outland garb of
red and blue, and that she was tall, with a golden-hued skin and olive
eyes, arched eyebrows very black, aquiline nose, and a rosy mouth, he
said, "Surely, O daughter, thou art not of this land of Erinn in the
sea, but art come out of the great world beyond?"

"Indeed, then, we have travelled far," replied the woman; "as thou
sayest, out of the great world beyond. And now the twilight deepens
upon us."

"Thou shalt sleep safe in the cave, O daughter, but we will rest here
by the embers. My cloak of goats' hair shalt thou have, and such dry
bracken and soft bushes as may be found."

"There is no need," said the woman, "mere shelter is enough;" and she
added in a low voice, "Often has my little son had no bed wherein he
might lie."

Then she stretched out her arms to the boy, and once more the little
one kissed the Abbot, and as he passed by Diarmait he put the palms of
his hands against the face of the young monk, and said laughingly, "I
do not think thou hadst any ill-will to us, though thou wert rough and
didst threaten to drive us away into the woods."

And the woman lifted the boy on her ar