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218 couple slipped out. The two horses and the coach were ready outside the door, and the driver sitting up in his own place. The beggars saw the coach and gathered round it. When Cormac was getting into the coach he threw a handful of small money among the beggars. You would think they would tear the throats out of each other striving to get at the money. While they were clawing and crushing and pushing each other the coach drove off. When the beggars found the coach going off they raised a shout. It was a loud shout—a powerful, vigorous shout, that would make your ears sing. But from that night to this, no one has been able to make out rightly whether that shout was a shout of derision or a shout of praise.

But it did not matter. Sive did not care which. The man of the colt, or any other man or any woman, could not now say that anyone married her without a fortune. If the shout was a shout of derision she did not grudge them their shouting until morning if it was any satisfaction to their minds. If it was a shout of praise, it was praise thrown away. She set no more value upon the praise than she did upon the wind blowing. As for Cormac, he did not think of derision or of praise in the matter. As was usual with him, he took it all very seriously. The coach drove on along the road to the north-east and no further remembrance remained with Sive or with Cormac of derision or of praise.

Cormac was contented. He knew that through the act Sive had done, and through the benefit she had conferred upon the King, there was no fear but that her husband would get friendship and favour from the King. Sive was contented. At length