Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/176

114 was the right time to marry her, that the bishop was ready and the couch prepared, and it was time to put the wedding-ring on her and give her to her husband.

The old king put a laugh out of him: "Upon my honour," he said, "the night is nearly spent, but my son will make a night for himself. I'll go bail he won't rise early to-morrow."

"Musha, and maybe he would," said the Sheehogue in Guleesh's ear, "or not go to bed, perhaps, at all. Ha, ha, ha!"

Guleesh gave him no answer, for his two eyes were going out on his head watching to see what they would do then.

The king took the youth by the hand, and the queen took her daughter, and they went up together to the altar, with the lords and great people following them.

When they came near the altar, and were no more than about four yards from it, the little sheehogue stretched out his foot before the girl, and she fell. Before she was able to rise again he threw something that was in his hand upon her, said a couple of words, and upon the moment the maiden was gone from amongst them. Nobody could see her, for that word made her invisible. The little maneen seized her and raised her up behind Guleesh, and the king nor no one else saw them, but out with them through the hall till they came to the door.

Oro! dear Mary! it's there the pity was, and the trouble, and the crying, and the wonder, and the searching, and the rookawn, when that lady disappeared from their eyes, and without their seeing what did it. Out on the door of the palace with them, without being stopped or hindered, for nobody saw them, and, "My horse, my bridle, and saddle!" says every man of them.