As soon as she landed Lord Howth courteously offered her the hospitality of the castle, and ordered his servants to carry the heavy coffer thither.
She continued to live at Howth Castle, and her host became passionately enamoured of her, and wished to marry her, but she persistently refused his offers, and urged him daily to seek another bride.
At last he gave way to her entreaties, and became affianced to the daughter of a neighbouring nobleman.
As the time for the marriage drew near the fair stranger presented Lord Howth with a ribbon wrought with strange characters, which she told him to wear on his wrist and guard as his luck. Then she left the castle and was heard of no more.
In due course Lord Howth brought home his bride, and with true womanly curiosity she wanted to know why he never removed the ribbon from his arm.
One night, while he was asleep, she untied it, and took it over to the fire to decipher the inscription, but it accidentally ignited, and was burnt to ashes.
Lord Howth was terribly distressed at its loss, declaring that his good fortune would now forsake him.
Shortly after this there was a great feast in the castle. In the midst of the festivities the dogs in the courtyard began to give tongue, as if in pursuit of game, and in a minute a terrified rat had jumped on the banqueting table, and, pausing before Lord Howth, looked up piteously in his face for protection.
He ordered the dogs to be called off, and from that hour the rat never left him.
His wife and family did not approve of his faithful attendant, and his brother persuaded him to go to the Continent, and by thus crossing the sea rid himself of the animal. However, the morning after his arrival in France the rat was found sleeping on his bed. He then pushed on to Marseilles, but not long after his arrival the rat entered his room wet and draggled from its long journey.