n their hands. Their arms were so brightly polished that they
illuminated the whole cave; and one of them had a shield that outshone
the rest, and a crown of gold on his head. In the centre of the cave
hung a bell, which the wizard told Murtagh to beware of touching; but,
if at any time he did so, and one of the warriors were to ask: 'Is it
day?' he was to answer without hesitation: 'No, sleep thou on!' The two
men took as much as they could carry from a heap of gold pieces that
lay amidst the warriors, and Murtagh managed accidentally to touch the
bell. It rang, and one of the warriors immediately asked: 'Is it day?'
when Murtagh answered promptly: 'No, sleep thou on!' The wizard told
him that the company he had seen were King Brien Borombe and his
knights, who lay asleep ready for the dawn of a new day. When the right
time should come the bell would ring loudly, and the warriors would
start up and destroy the enemies of Erin, and once more the descendants
of the Tuatha di Danan should rule the isle in peace. When Murtagh's
treasure was all finished, he went back to the cave and helped himself
to more. On his way out he touched the bell, and again it rang; but
this time he was not so ready with his answer, and some of the warriors
rose up, took the gold from him, beat him, and flung him out of the
cave. He never recovered from the beating, but was a cripple to the end
of his days."

"And serve him right, too!" declared Honor. "Brien Borombe was a great
hero of Ireland."

"Yes, there's one of Moore's _Irish Melodies_ that begins: 'Remember the
glories of Brien the brave'," said Janie.

"Are there any more stories about him in that book?"

"I'm not sure, but there are tales about fairy raths and changelings
and leprechauns and pookas and banshees, and all kinds of extraordinary
creatures."

"Then we'll have one every day, please! I think you're a first-rate
story-teller. You're almost as good as old Mary O'Grady. I've often sat
by her peat fire and heard about the banshee and the leprechaun; only,
she believes in them. I'm so glad I've moved into this bedroom! I like
you far better than those girls in No. 13."

When Miss Maitland came upstairs to inspect No. 8, she found Honor and
Janie already on a more favourable footing than she had dared to hope,
the latter chatting with a vivacity that no one at St. Chad's had
hitherto imagined she possessed. Once she had broken the ice of her
shyness, and had broached her be