o his treatment on the road. It would be a bad
day I would see your father's son taken for a kitchen
boy.

_Manus_: I was through the world last night in
a dream. It was dreamed to me that the King's
daughter in this house is in a great danger.

_Nurse_: So she is, at the end of a twelvemonth.

_Manus_: My warning was for this day. Seeing
her under trouble in my dream, my heart was hot
to come to her help. I am here to save her, to
meet every troublesome thing that will come at
her.

_Nurse_: Oh, my heavy blessing on you doing
that!

_Manus_: I was not willing to come as a king,
that she would feel tied and bound to live for if
I live, or to die with if I should die. I am come
as a poor unknown man, that may slip away after
the fight, to my own kingdom or across the borders
of the world, and no thanks given him and no more
about him, but a memory of the shadow of a cook!

_Nurse_: I would not think that to be right,
and you the last of your race. It is best for you
to tell the King.

_Manus_: I lay my orders on you to tell no one
at all.

_Nurse_: Give me leave but to _whisper_ it to the
Princess Nu. It's ye would be the finest two the
world ever saw. You will not find her equal in all
Ireland!

_Manus_: I lay it as crosses and as spells on you
to say no word to her or to any other that will
make known my race or my name. Give me now
your oath.

_Nurse: (Kneeling.)_ I do, I do. But they will
know you by your high looks.

_Manus_: Did you yourself know me a while ago?

_Nurse: (Getting up.)_ Oh, they're coming! Oh,
my poor child, what way will you that never handled
a spit be able to make out a dinner for the
King?

_Manus_: This silver whistle, that was her pipe
of music, was given to me by a queen among the
Sidhe that is my godmother. At the sound of it
that will come through the air any earthly thing
I wish for, at my command.

_Nurse_: Let it be a dinner so.

_Manus_: So it will come, on a green tablecloth
carried by four swans as white as snow. The
freshest of every meat, the oldest of every drink,
nuts from the trees in Adam's Paradise!

_(King, Queen, Princess, Dall Glic come in.
Princess sits on window sill.)_

_Queen: (To King.)_ Here now, my dear. Wasn't
I telling you I would take all trouble from your
mind, and that I would not be without finding a
cook for you?

_King_: He came in a good hour. The want of a
right dinner has downed kingdoms before this.

_Queen_: Travel