e neighbour wars on neighbour and why there is no man knows,
And if a man is lucky all wish his luck away,
And take his good name from him between a day and a day.

LAEGAIRE

I would he'd come for all that, and make his young wife know
That though she may be his wife, she has no right to go
Before your wife and my wife, as she would have gone last night
Had they not caught at her dress, and pulled her as was right;
And she makes light of us though our wives do all that they can.
She spreads her tail like a peacock and praises none but her man.

CONALL

A man in a long green cloak that covers him up to the chin
Comes down through the rocks and hazels.

LAEGAIRE

Cry out that he cannot come in.

CONALL

He must look for his dinner elsewhere, for no one alive shall stop
Where a shame must alight on us two before the dawn is up.

LAEGAIRE

No man on the ridge of the world must ever know that but us two.

CONALL

[_Outside door_]

Go away, go away, go away.

YOUNG MAN

[_Outside door_]

I will go when the night is through
And I have eaten and slept and drunk to my heart's delight.

CONALL

A law has been made that none shall sleep in this house to-night.

YOUNG MAN

Who made that law?

CONALL

We made it, and who has so good a right?
Who else has to keep the house from the Shape-Changers till day?

YOUNG MAN

Then I will unmake the law, so get you out of the way.

[_He pushes past CONALL and goes into house_]

CONALL

I thought that no living man could have pushed me from the door,
Nor could any living man do it but for the dip in the floor;
And had I been rightly ready there's no man living could do it,
Dip or no dip.

LAEGAIRE

Go out--if you have your wits, go out,
A stone's throw further on you will find a big house where
Our wives will give you supper, and you'll sleep sounder there,
For it's a luckier house.

YOUNG MAN

I'll eat and sleep where I will.

LAEGAIRE

Go out or I will make you.

YOUNG MAN

[_Forcing up LAEGAIRE'S arm, passing him and putting his shield on
the wall over the chair_]

Not till I have drunk my fill.
But may some dog defend me for a cat of wonder's up.
Laegaire and Conall are here, the flagon full to the top,
And the cups--

LAEGAIRE

It is Cuchulain.

CUCHULAIN

The cups are dry