at is best for a champion?" "His doings
to be high, and his pride to be low." "What is the best of jewels?" "A
knife." "What is sharper than a sword?" "The wit of a woman between two
men." "What is quicker than the wind?" said Finn then. "A woman's mind,"
said Grania. And indeed she was telling no lie when she said that. And
for all their talk together she had no liking for Finn, and she felt the
blood in her heart to be rising against him.

And the wedding-feast was made ready then, and they all went into the
king's feasting-house in the Middle Court. And the king sat down to take
his share of drinking and pleasure, and his wife at his left side, and
Grania beside her again; and Finn, son of Cumhal, at the right hand of
the king, and Oisin at the other side, and every other one according to
his nobility and his birth.

Then Daire of the poems stood up before Grania, and sang the songs and
good poems of her fathers to her. And there was sitting near to Grania a
knowledgeable man, a Druid of Finn's people, and it was not long until
they began to talk together. "Tell me now," said Grania, "who is that
man on the right hand of Oisin?" "That is Goll, son of Morna," said the
Druid, "the ready fighter." "Who is that beside Goll?" said Grania.
"Osgar, son of Oisin," said the Druid. "And who is that thin-legged man
beside Osgar?" "That is Caoilte, son of Ronan." "Who is that proud,
hasty man beside Caoilte?" "Lugaidh's Son of the Strong Hand." "Who is
that sweet-worded man," she said then, "with the dark hair, and cheeks
like the rowan berry, on the left side of Oisin, son of Finn?" "That is
Diarmuid, grandson of Duibhne," said the Druid, "that is the best lover
of women in the whole world." "That is a good company," said Grania.

And after the feast had gone on a while, their own feast was made for
the dogs outside. And the dogs began to fight with one another, and the
noise was heard in the hall, and the chief men of the Fianna went to
drive them away from one another.

Now Diarmuid was used to keep his cap always over the love-spot the
woman had left on his forehead, for no woman could see that spot but she
would give him her love. And it chanced, while he was driving the dogs
apart, the cap fell from him, and Grania was looking cut at him as it
fell, and great love for him came on her there and then. And she called
her serving-maid to her, and bade her bring the great golden cup that
held drink for nine times nine men fr