Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: "No word to Donough of this matter! If she is safe again in his castle, or safe in the convent, come you back to me in silence. If the tale be true, find her and bring me word of her need." 'O it happened that Ardan had crossed the Shannon at Ath-Luin when the wandering bard from the north found the way to the castle of Diarmod, and craving audience, knelt and offered a ring. from her who calls herself Regina," he said. " The dower given to the convent for her has gone to Lough Gilla Castle with many other things. The ring of the south should not be among the plunder of the enemy, and for that reason it is sent back." "Is that the only word?" "All that was given me." "Is she — in prison?" "She is the wife of Tiernan O'Ruarc, King of Breffni; she rules all within the castle by his love of her." "He Has then taken a nun to wife against all rule of Rome? Has there been naught of protest from King Murtaghof Meath?" " Nay, O Diarmod, no vows had been laid upon her. She was free to be sought in marriage to any man, and O'Ruarc was the man." That rankling thought was not good company for the man who had let her ride out from O'Carroll's castle into the new prison, and the man who got her was his enemy! days Diarmod fumed over the thought, and then rode with his spearmen and bowmen to council with King Donough. "Is it in silence the men of Meath and men of Orielle let the plunderer from Lough Gilla strip the holy churches and carry away the cloistered women?" he asked. And Donough walked with him apart that Queen Maureen might not hear. "As to Clonard Abbey, it is true, and we should stand against this, and send a spokesman to O'Ruarc; but as to women there was only one, and that one is his wife. There is no profit in going against that. She is Queen of... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.