Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 edition. Excerpt: ...the holy names," said Diarmod the king, and rose and stood by the fire with the otter skin robe about him in a quick tremble of cold. Donough O'Carroll looked at him, and poured wine from the flagon into a jeweled cup. "To your warmth," he said. "We have talked the fire low on the hearth. Empty the guest cup with me for comfort of the body." Then he poured a cup for Kieran, thanked him and asked what gift he could give him for the story of the blood of Dervail nan Ciar, whose true name was Danish dove. "Give your gift to Erinn for me, and make your own choice of that gift," said Kieran, "but let it be a good ship to take the wolf's whelp as far out of the land as the shores of Egypt, and that is a far sail for a good ship; or failing that, build a wall of stone, doubled, around the convent where she is barred from the sight of men. If she has what her mother, Dyveke, had, say prayers to Phadraig and to Brighde that the curse of the eric be not laid on Erinn." "That besides the doubled wall?" said Diarmod, who was warmed by the wine, and spoke lightly. "Aye--besides the double wall! The paying of that eric is beyond thought. It is the yoke of a slave and a thousand years of blood on the bent head of Erinn!" IERAN was led to rest by a servant of the castle, and Jpt was not told that Diarmod the king had been a listener to the tale of the rune. Diarmod paced the room and quaffed another cup of the red wine of Gaul. "Is it not enough that the priestly rules are ever near to ban anything of beauty coming a man's way?" he grumbled. "But a hermit must bring runes of a thousand years to strengthen that ban! The tale would witch a man to follow her if but to see if she...