And all through that night, while the mother slept, Bride nursed the Child, with tender hands and croodling crooning songs. And this was one of the songs that she sang: Ah, Baby Christ, so dear to me, Sang Bridget Bride: How sweet thou art, My baby dear, Heart of my heart! Heavy her body was with thee, Mary, beloved of One in Three, Sang Bridget Bride-- Mary, who bore thee, little lad: But light her heart was, light and glad With God's love clad. Sit on my knee, Sang Bridget Bride: Sit here O Baby dear, Close to my heart, my heart: For I thy foster-mother am, My helpless lamb! O have no fear, Sang good St. Bride. None, none, No fear have I: So let me cling Close to thy side Whilst thou dost sing, O Bridget Bride! My Lord, my Prince I sing: My baby dear, my King! Sang Bridget Bride. It was on this night that, far away in Iona, the Arch-Druid Cathal died. But before the breath went from him he had his vision of joy, and his last words were: Brighde 'dol air a glùn, Righ nan dùl a shuidh 'na h-uchd! (Bridget Bride upon her knee, The King of the Elements asleep on her breast!) At the coming of dawn Mary awoke, and took the Child. She kissed Bride upon the brows, and said this thing to her: "Brighid, my sister dear, thou shalt be known unto all time as Muime Chriosd." IV No sooner had Mary spoken than Bride fell into a deep sleep. So profound was this slumber that when Dùghall Donn came to see to the wayfarers, and to tell them that the milk and the porridge were ready for the breaking of their fast, he could get no word of her at all. She lay in the clean, yellow straw beneath the manger, where Mary had laid the Child. Dùghall stared in amaze. There was no sign of the mother, nor of the Babe that was the Prince of Peace, nor of the douce, quiet man that was Joseph the carpenter. As for Bride, she not only slept so sound that no word of his fell against her ears, but she gave him awe. For as he looked at her he saw that she was surrounded by a glowing light. Something in his heart shaped itself into a prayer, and he knelt beside her, sobbing low. When he rose, it was in peace. Mayhap an angel had comforted his soul in its dark shadowy haunt of his body. It was late when Bride awoke, though she did not open her eyes, but lay dreaming. For long she thought she was in Tir-Tairngire, the Land of Promise, or wandering on the honey-sweet plain of Magh-Mell; for the wind of dreamland brought exquisite odours to her, and in her ears was a most marvellous sweet singing.