Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

282 Fictions of the Irish Celts.
spring, she found a sheet of water surrounding the little
eminence, and a bubbling flood bursting upwards where
the still fluid was peacefully lying within its circular wall
only a quarter of an hour before. She would have awaited
death where she stood, so much was she overpowered
with remorse for her fault, but such was not the purpose
of her knight. Lifting her on his shoulders, he dashed
through the channel nearest the neighbouring slope, and
bore her still alive to her home. The dismayed dwellers
in the valley had time to gain the heights before their
dwellings were covered with the water ; but the young
maiden was denounced. The legend leaves us in ignorance
of the after-fortunes of the lovers.
A once king of Cork and all his household are still
living in comfortable seclusion at the bottom of the
Lough of Cork, which burst out, as in the other instances,
on account of the negligence of a domestic.
LEGEND OF THE LAKE OF INCHIQUIN.
Below the present surface of this lake was once a level
plain, over one part of which towered a castle, or dun at
least. A cavern under this castle led to some unexplored
region, and a beautiful spring-well lay not far from its
mouth. The lord of the dun was informed that three
beautiful women were seen at times to come forth from
the cavern's mouth, on calm moonlight nights, and bathe
and the tale was not told to inattentive ears.
in the well ;
He concealed himself just within the entrance of the
passage, and saw the three beauties pass forth into the
moonlight. He waited impatiently till they were return-
ing, and he allowed two of them to glide by his hidingplace.
As the third, who was the youngest and most
beautiful, went by, he grasped her, and bore her into the
open air. The others fled into the cavern, and the imprisoned
nymph pleaded hard for her liberty. But he
was handsome and gentle, and resolute at the same time,