When the boy had left Aengus son of Forbis in his room, and had
lighted the lamp which, by some contrivance of the wizard's, gave
forth a sweet odour as of strange flowers, he went into the wood and
began cutting green boughs from the hazels, and great bundles of
rushes from the western border of the isle, where the small rocks
gave place to gently sloping sand and clay. It was nightfall before
he had cut enough for his purpose, and well-nigh midnight before he
had carried the last bundle to its place, and gone back for the roses
and the lilies. It was one of those warm, beautiful nights when
everything seems carved of precious stones. Sleuth Wood away to the
south looked as though cut out of green beryl, and the waters that
mirrored them shone like pale opal. The roses he was gathering were
like glowing rubies, and the lilies had the dull lustre of pearl.
Everything had taken upon itself the look of something imperishable,
except a glow-worm, whose faint flame burnt on steadily among the
shadows, moving slowly hither and thither, the only thing that seemed
alive, the only thing that seemed perishable as mortal hope. The boy
gathered a great armful of roses and lilies, and thrusting the glow-
worm among their pearl and ruby, carried them into the room, where
the old man sat in a half-slumber. He laid armful after armful upon
the floor and above the table, and then, gently closing the door,
threw himself upon his bed of rushes, to dream of a peaceful manhood
with his chosen wife at his side, and the laughter of children in his
ears. At dawn he rose, and went down to the edge of the lake, taking
the hour-glass with him. He put some bread and a flask of wine in the
boat, that his master might not lack food at the outset of his
journey, and then sat down to wait until the hour from dawn had gone
by. Gradually the birds began to sing, and when the last grains of
sand were falling, everything suddenly seemed to overflow with their