As he spoke he seemed to breathe the brilliance of that mystical sunlight and to dilate and tower, so that the child looked up to a giant pillar of light, having in his heart a sun of ruddy gold which shed its blinding rays about him, and over his head there was a waving of fiery plumage and on his face an ecstasy of beauty and immortal youth.
"I am Angus," Con heard; "men call me the Young. I am the sunlight in the heart, the moonlight in the mind; I am the light at the end of every dream, the voice for ever calling to come away; I am the desire beyond you or tears. Come with me, come with me, I will make you immortal; for my palace opens into the Gardens of the Sun, and there are the fire-fountains which quench the heart's desire in rapture." And in the child's dream he was in a palace high as the stars, with dazzling pillars jeweled like the dawn, and all fashioned out of living and trembling opal. And upon their thrones sat the Danann gods with their sceptres and diadems of rainbow light, and upon their faces infinite wisdom and imperishable youth. In the turmoil and growing chaos of his dream he heard a voice crying out, "You remember, Con, Con, Conaire Mor, you remember!" and in an instant he was torn from himself and had grown vaster, and was with the Immortals, seated upon their thrones, they looking upon him as a brother, and he was flying away with them into the heart of the gold when he awoke, the spirit of childhood dazzled with the vision which is too lofty for princes.
DEIRDRE
A LEGEND IN THREE ACTS
Dramatis Personae:
CONCOBAR............... Ardrie of Ulla.
NAISI
AINLE, ARDAN............ Brothers of Naisi.
FERGUS
BUINNE, ILANN.......... Sons of Fergus
CATHVAH................. A Druid
DEIRDRE
LAVARCAN................ A Druidess
Herdsman,
Messenger
ACT I.
SCENE.—The dun of DEIRDRE'S captivity. LAVARCAM, a Druidess, sits before the door in the open air. DEIRDRE comes out of the dun.