“One day when Deirdre had grown to be a fine big girl, she looks out of the window, and she sees Naisi (pronounced Naysha) going along by with his two brothers, the three of them together, they having been hunting in the mountain. And the minute she slaps her eyes on Naisi, ‘There,’ says she, ‘is the grandest man in the width of the world, and I’ll be wife to no man but him,’ says she.
“So she calls in the sons of Usnach, though the old woman is scared to have her, and she tells Naisi she’s going to marry him.
“And Naisi says, says he, ‘I’ll never be one to refuse a lady, but there’ll be murder the day Conchubar finds it out!’ says he.
“So they went away that same night, and the old woman fair distraught with fear. Soon along comes Conchubar to see Deirdre, for to marry her. And he had many men with him. When he finds Deirdre gone, ‘It’s that Naisi,’ says he, ‘that stole her away.’ And he cursed him. And all his men and himself went out for to chase Naisi and his two brothers. But they never caught up with them at all for ten years, and Naisi and Deirdre living all the time as happy as two birds in the springtime.”
“No fighting at all yet,” said Dennis, “and ten years gone by. Musha, indeed, ’tis not much of a tale at all.”
“There was fighting enough when the years were up,” Eileen said. “The men of Conchubar pursued them up hill and down dale, and when they finally caught them, there was fighting that made the ground red with the blood spilled.
“And when Naisi and his brothers were all caught together, and Conchubar was after killing them, sure, didn’t Deirdre put an end to herself entirely, and the four of them were buried together in one grave.”
“But however will we play it at all?” said Larry.
“Listen, now,” said Eileen. “I’ll be Deirdre, of course. You can just be Naisi, Larry, and Dennis can be Conchubar, and he after us, and we running as fast as ever we can, to get away from him. You must give us a start, Dennis.”