The man answered not a word.  He was of the Gamanrdians, dwellers by the Sue, which feeds the great Western River; [Footnote:  The Shannon.] his people were of the Clan Dega in the south, and of the children of Orc [Footnote:  In scriptural language “of the seed of the giants,” huge, simple-hearted and simple-minded men, who could obey orders and ask no questions.] from the Isles of Ore in the frozen seas. [Footnote:  The Orkney Islands.] The blood of the Fomoroh was in those men.  The women went on, and that grim company followed, keeping close behind.  When they gained the first cover of the trees Levarcam turned round and stretched over them her wand.  They stood motionless, both men and dogs.  Then the women went forward, and alone.

“Fill thy basket now with forest flowers, O sweetest, and dearest, and fairest of all foster-children, and listen to the songs of the birds and the music of the rill.  Cull thy flowers, darling girl, and cull the flower of thy youth, the flower that grows but once for all like thee, the flower whose glory puts high heaven to shame, and whose odour makes mad the most wise.”

“Where shall I gather that flower, O gentlest and most amiable of foster-mothers?  Is it in the glade or the thicket, or on the margent of the rill?

“It is not to be found by seeking, O fairest of all maidens.  Gather it when thou meetest with it in the way.  Wear it in thy heart, be the end what it may.  Verily thou wilt not mistake any other flower for that flower.”

“I know not thy meaning, O wise and many-counselled woman, but there is fear upon me, and trembling, and my knees quake at thy strange words.  Now, if the whole world were swallowed up I should not be surprised.  Surely the end of the world is very nigh.”

“It is the end of the world and the beginning of the world; and the end of life and the beginning of life; and death and life in one, and death and life will soon be the same to thee, O Deirdre!”

“There is amazement upon me, and terror, O my foster-mother, on account of thy words, and on account of the gathering of this flower.  Let us return to the dun.  Terrible to me are the hollow-sounding ways of the unknown forest.”

“Fear not the unknown forest, O Deirdre.  Leave the known and the familiar now that thy time has come.  Go on.  Accomplish thy destiny.  It is vain to strive against fate and the pre-ordained designs of the high gods of Erin.  Truly I have failed in my trust.  I see great wrath in Emain Macha.  I see the Red Branch tossed in storms, and a mighty riving and rending and scattering abroad, and dismal conflagrations, and the blood of heroes falling like rain, and I hear the croaking of Byves. [Footnote:  Badb, pronounced Byve, was primarily the scald-crow or carrion-crow, secondarily a Battle-Fury.] Truly I have proved a brittle prop to the Ultonians, but some power beyond my own drives me on.”

“What wild words are these, O wisest of women, and what this rending and scattering abroad, and showers of blood and croaking of Byves because I cull a flower in the forest?”