a roof of their shields, and the hailstones battered
on the shields so terribly that even under them they were afraid. They
began to move away from the host looking for shelter, and when they had
gone apart a little way they turned the edge of a small hill and a knoll
of trees, and in the twinkling of an eye they were in fair weather.

One minute they heard the clashing and bashing of the hailstones, the
howling of the venomous wind, the screams of women and the uproar of the
crowd on the Hill of Uisneach, and the next minute they heard nothing
more of those sounds and saw nothing more of these sights, for they had
been permitted to go at one step out of the world of men and into the
world of Faery.

CHAPTER IV

There is a difference between this world and the world of Faery, but it
is not immediately perceptible. Everything that is here is there, but
the things that are there are better than those that are here. All
things that are bright are there brighter. There is more gold in the
sun and more silver in the moon of that land. There is more scent in the
flowers, more savour in the fruit. There is more comeliness in the men
and more tenderness in the women. Everything in Faery is better by this
one wonderful degree, and it is by this betterness you will know that
you are there if you should ever happen to get there.

Mongan and his companions stepped from the world of storm into sunshine
and a scented world. The instant they stepped they stood, bewildered,
looking at each other silently, questioningly, and then with one accord
they turned to look back whence they had come.

There was no storm behind them. The sunlight drowsed there as it did in
front, a peaceful flooding of living gold. They saw the shapes of
the country to which their eyes were accustomed, and recognised the
well-known landmarks, but it seemed that the distant hills were a trifle
higher, and the grass which clothed them and stretched between was
greener, was more velvety: that the trees were better clothed and had
more of peace as they hung over the quiet ground.

But Mongan knew what had happened, and he smiled with glee as he watched
his astonished companions, and he sniffed that balmy air as one whose
nostrils remembered it.

"You had better come with me," he said.

"Where are we?" his wife asked. "Why, we are here," cried Mongan; "where
else should we be?"

He set off then, and the others followed, staring about them cautiously,
a