ng all the time if the Princess
Flame-of-Wine would pass through the court-yard or come into the hall
where they waited.

Then he saw her come up the courtyard. She saw the youths in the hall
and she turned round to watch the pet fox for a while. Then she came
into the chamber and stood near the door.

She wore a mask across her face, but her brow and mouth and chin were
shown. The youths saluted her, and she bent her head to them. One of the
women who had brought birds to the Fair followed her, bringing a cage.
Flame-of-Wine talked to this woman in a strange language.

Although she talked to the woman, Flann saw that she watched his three
companions. Him she did not notice, because the bench on which he sat
was behind the others. Flame-of-Wine looked at the King's Son first,
and then turned her eyes from him. She bent her head to listen to what
Downal and Dermott were saying. Flann she did not look at at all, and he
became sick at heart of the Red Castle.

The King's Steward came into the Hall and when he announced who the
youths were--three sons of the King of Ireland traveling with their
foster-brother--Flame-of-Wine went over and spoke to them. "May we see
you to-morrow, Kings' Sons," she said. "To-morrow is our feast of the
Gathering of Apples. It might be pleasant for you to hear music in the
King's garden."

She smiled on Downal and Dermott and on the King's Son and went out of
the Chamber. The King's Steward feasted the four youths and afterwards
made them presents. But Flann did not heed what he ate nor what he heard
said, nor what present was given him.

III

The four youths left the Castle and Downal and Dermott took their own
way when they came to the foot-bridge that was across the river. Then
when they were crossing it the King's Son and Flann saw two figures--a
middle-aged, sturdy man and an old, broken-looking woman--meet before
the Bull's Field. "It is the Gobaun Saor," said the King's Son. "It is
the Spae-Woman," said Flann. They went to them, each wishing to greet
his friend and helper.

There they saw a sturdy, middle-aged man and a broken-looking old woman.
But the woman looking on the man saw one who had full wisdom to plan and
full strength to build, whose wisdom and whose strength could neither
grow nor diminish. And the man looking on the woman saw one whose brow
had all quiet, whose heart had all benignity. "Hail, Gobaun, Builder for
the Gods," said the woman. "Hail, Grania Oi, Re