But she came to him every day to tend him, and to make ready his food,
and to pour water over his hands, and all she could do she did for him,
for it was a grief to her, he to wither away and to be lost for her
sake. And at last one day she said to him: "Rise up, Ailell, son of a
king, man of high deeds, and I will do your healing."
Then he put his arms about her, and she kissed him, and she said: "Come
at the morning of to-morrow at the break of day to the house outside the
dun, and I will give you all your desire."
That night Ailell lay without sleep until the morning was at hand. And
at the very time he should have risen to go to her, it was at that time
his sleep settled down upon him, and he slept on till the full light of
day.
But Etain went to the house outside the dun, and she was not long there
when she saw a man coming towards her having the appearance of Ailell,
sick and tired and worn. But when he came near and she looked closely at
him, she saw it was not Ailell that was in it. Then he went away, and
after she had waited a while, she herself went back into the dun.
And it was then Ailell awoke, and when he knew the morning had passed
by, he would sooner have had death than life, and he fretted greatly.
And Etain came in then, and he told her what had happened him. And she
said: "Come to-morrow to the same place."
But the same thing happened the next day. And when it happened on the
third day, and the same man came to meet Etain, she said to him: "It is
not you at all I come to meet here, and why is it that you come to meet
me? And as to him I came to meet," she said, "indeed it is not for gain
or through lightness I bade him come to me, but to heal him of the
sickness he is lying under for my sake.
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