"All I will ask then," said Midhir, "is to put
my arms about her and to kiss her once." "You may do that," said the
king, "if you will wait to the end of a month." So Midhir agreed to
that, and went away for that time.
At the end of the month he came back again, and stood in the great hall
at Teamhair, and no one had ever seen him look so comely as he did that
night. And Eochaid had all his best fighting men gathered in the hall,
and he shut all the doors of the palace when he saw Midhir come in, for
fear he would try to bring away Etain by force.
"I am come to be paid what is due to me," said Midhir. "I have not been
thinking of it up to this time," said Eochaid, and there was anger on
him. "You promised me Etain, your wife," said Midhir. The redness of
shame came on Etain when she heard that, but Midhir said: "Let there be
no shame on you, Etain, for it is through the length of a year I have
been asking your love, and I have offered you every sort of treasure and
riches, and you refused to come to me till such a time as your husband
would give you leave." "It is true I said that," said Etain, "I will go
if Eochaid gives me up to you." "I will not give you up," said Eochaid;
"I will let him do no more than put his arms about you in this place, as
was promised him." "I will do that," said Midhir.
With that he took his sword in his left hand, and he took Etain in his
right arm and kissed her. All the armed men in the house made a rush at
him then, but he rose up through the roof bringing Etain with him, and
when they rushed out of the house to follow him, all they could see was
two swans high up in the air, linked together by a chain of gold.
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