e began to despair of
ever seeing her. It chanced one night he rambled so far that he found
himself on the verge of the lake, at the very spot from which the golden
bridge had been thrown across the waters, and as he gazed wistfully upon
them a boat shot up and came swiftly to the bank, and who should he see
sitting in the stern but the little woman.

"Ah, Cuglas, Cuglas," she said, "I gave you three chances, and you
failed in all of them."

"I should have borne the pain inflicted by the monster's claw," said
Cuglas. "I should have borne the thirst on the sandy desert, and dashed
the crystal cup untasted from the fairy's hand; but I could never have
faced the nobles and chiefs of Erin if I had refused to meet the
challenge of the battle champion on the golden bridge."

"And you would have been no true knight of Erin, and you would not have
been worthy of the wee girl who loves you, the bonny Princess Ailinn, if
you had refused to meet it," said the little woman; "but for all that
you can never return to the fair hills of Erin. But cheer up, Cuglas,
there are mossy ways and forest paths and nestling bowers in fairyland.
Lonely they are, I know, in your eyes now," said the little woman; "but
maybe," she added, with a laugh as musical as the ripple on a streamlet
when summer is in the air, "maybe you won't always think them so
lonely."

"You think I'll forget Ailinn for the fairy queen," said Cuglas, with a
sigh.

"I don't think anything of the kind," said she.

"Then what do you mean?" said the prince.

"Oh, I mean what I mean," said the little woman. "But I can't stop here
all night talking to you: and, indeed, it is in your bed you ought to
be yourself. So now good-night; and I have no more to say, except that
perhaps, if you happen to be here this night week at this very hour,
when the moon will be on the waters, you will see---- But no matter what
you will see," said she; "I must be off."

And before the prince could say another word the boat sped away from the
bank, and he was alone. He went back to the palace, and he fell asleep
that night only to dream of the Princess Ailinn.

As for the princess, she was pining away in the palace of Tara, the
color had fled from her cheeks, and her eyes, which had been once so
bright they would have lighted darkness like a star, lost nearly all
their luster, and the king's leeches could do nothing for her, and at
last they gave up all hope, and the king and queen of Eri